I'm currently a nursing student and things have been...interesting lately. After seeing nurses in my acute care clinicals and browsing this forum I've come to the conclusion that 90% (Yes, 90% exactly) of nurses are either feeling horrible, terrible and in some cases miserable.
So I have to ask those who work/worked 12 hour shifts: How do you feel about it? What is the experience like?
I'm sure a lot of it depends on what sort of unit one is on, but it seems dangerous to me for someone to work that long while caring for six or seven patients. It must take a toll on the ability to focus...
Yeah, that's an interesting thought for me because I've grown up with my parents doing just that and I've always thought of it as the norm. I've always associated 3-4 days/week with my teenage jobs in retail.
After college (the first time through) I usually worked 6 days a week and felt like I never had the time to rest and do anything not work related. Finding out that nurses usually work 3 12s was a big draw for me. All summer I did a nurse internship that was 3 12s and then worked 1 10 hour shift a week at my normal job too, and even though it was more than 40 hours, it felt like I had more free time because I had more days off. I work 12s as a patient care tech, and even though I usually run myself ragged, I'd still rather work longer hours for fewer days.
I almost lost my everloving mind working 12-hour shifts. I loved the idea but my body wouldn't cooperate. I couldn't do more than two in a row, but if I alternated days it felt like I was doing nothing but working and recovering from work.
I do best on 8-hour evening shifts, but feel like I've wasted an entire very long day. I tried 8-hour day shifts but don't do well waking up at four in the morning and I ended up losing the entire day anyway because I come home exhausted and didn't get anything done. Also, the downside is that 5-day work week.
I finally figured out the best way for me was to work 3-4 evening shifts a week and the occasional day shift just to shake things up, and then supplement with PRN agency work, doing non-bedside stuff. Gives me a lot of flexibity and variety and more control over my work life.
Worked 3 or 4 12's per week my entire career. I always felt that the first few hours of ANY shift I'd develop a rhythm. Once I was in the groove, I'd rather stay for 12 hours rather than do 8's and have to be there 5 days per week. I've seen studies that say 12 hour shifts are worse for the patients, but I have yet to see a hospital change from 12's to 8's.
12 hr shifts are easier to schedule for staffers. The problem for pts is the majority of hospitals still use 8 hr grids with ratio changes and incorporate 12hr nurses into these. It creates floating and a pt who may have a different nurse every 4 hrs. So a pt could technically have 6 nurses in a 24 hr period instead of 2. Which is better for the pt. That's when things are forgotten, mistakes are made.
In my hospital we are not supposed to float every 4 hrs but it still happens. Pt continuity is a an important theme on my unit and frequently may be floated out of turn if the one to float has a pt that needs continuity and/or is heavy care. Fortunately I'm usually the one to get out of floating as I get assigned the heavier pts. I don't know if this is a blessing or curse. This is a big item for our union to negotiate (floating for 12hr nurses) for our upcoming contract renewal.
Even with that said, I would quit if I had to work less than 12 hr shifts. I love (mostly) where I work and what I do but it's not my life.
I work 12's in LTC and I either have 25pts as a floor nurse, or 50pt as a desk nurse. I actually LOVE working 12s! The day goes by really fast (Because we are always super busy) and I feel like I live there, so I KNOW most of the residents. If a family member calls with a question, I can immediately tell them what is going on, because I see my patients every day and have excellent recall of their recent medical history.
I suppose the only downside is the on my off days, I am absolutely exhausted. I sleep in until 9 (hubby gets up with the kids), take a nap in the afternoon with the kids (1-4) and still go to bed around 10! And my house is a mess because I am too tired to fold laundry or pick up toys.
So professionally, it is really good. Personally, it can be a little rough.
It's not the 12 hours that's killing people, it's the lack of any break, staying after shift to finish up, and having heavy assignments. Also parking issues, like one poster said, she needs 20 minutes to get a shuttle to and from the hospital from the parking lot.
Basically adding it all up nurses are doing shifts that are physically impossible, and predictably, they make errors. So someone decided to talk about 12 hour shifts. Hmmm, try having adequate supplies and equipment and a secretary/aid so nurses do nursing, and don't crank up the assignment to see how tight you can make it.
Working 3x12 is one of the biggest benefits to being a nurse. We have nurses in their 40's, 50's, 60's, and 70's who all manage just fine on the 3x12 schedule - and not one of them would change back to straight 8's.
If you manage your life appropriately, you can get the requisite sleep.
It's not the 12 hours that's killing people, it's the lack of any break, staying after shift to finish up, and having heavy assignments. Also parking issues, like one poster said, she needs 20 minutes to get a shuttle to and from the hospital from the parking lot.
Basically adding it all up nurses are doing shifts that are physically impossible, and predictably, they make errors. So someone decided to talk about 12 hour shifts. Hmmm, try having adequate supplies and equipment and a secretary/aid so nurses do nursing, and don't crank up the assignment to see how tight you can make it.
You hit the nail on the (canoe)head.
The problem isn't the length of the shift, the problem is the lack of systems to support the staff working these shifts. Having sufficient help, restricting the late rounding by docs, having sufficient supplies on hand, having float staff to permit breaks and lunch, well-designed and appointed work stations, etc all facilitate the extended shifts.
I was used to working the 3-11pm shift, 5 days a week and that makes for a very long week!! Now I work 11-11pm and of course it isn't always 12 hours. Most days it is 13-14 hours to finish all the charting, but at least I get 4 days off a week and I don't schedule myself for 3 shifts in a row. I break it up 2 days on, 2 days off, 1 day on, 2 days off. Great for me!!
Even when I was working the 8 hour evening shift it was never just 8 hours. Usually it was closer to 10 hours for 5 days a week, so even the 13-14 hours now is better than before!
I love it when I have a day off and don't have to go anywhere all day. Just stay home and veg out. I can do this more often a week than I could with the 8 hour shifts. The 12 shifts make for a long day but the time off makes up for it.
I LOVED 12 hour shifts when I was 23. Working in ICU, I came back to the same pt.s and nurse I reported off to, knew the pt., and had a better day because of it. Now, my 50 year old body simply needs more than 12 hours to regenerate. I am dragging my butt by day 2, and fighting off the brain fog by day 3, not to mention the excruciating foot and back pain. I'm snappish, less than empathetic, basically not the nurse I want to be. After a 3 day, I'm NOT enjoying the first 2 of my 4 days off. PLEASE, bring back 8 hour shifts!
I think that 12 hour shifts are manageable for me, but it depends how they are done. When I was orienting on my unit and worked 3 in a row and had 4 off, I loved it! I loved having time with my family and having the same assignment night after night.
Since I am off orientation, it is a whole other ballgame. I work night shift and never even two in a row. Occasionally they throw me on a day shift, leaving me to get off at 7a, recover, adjust my schedule to be back at 7a for a day shift the next day. This every other day nonsense is killing me physically, emotionally and socially. Every single day of the week I am either recovering from or getting ready for work. Not to mention that 12s are never 12s. They are 13-15 depending on if my boss schedules a mandatory meeting before or after a shift. I am hoping my schedule will work out, but it is cruel to do this to staff. I am sure the every other day schedule is not so bad if you work days or if you are able to stay on a night schedule on your days off, but I want to see my son and my husband as well on my "days off."
I am hoping that it will even out and I will love 12 hours a day again, but I would take an 8 hour, 5 day a week schedule in a second over this schedule.
At 56 I still love 12 hr. nights! In the past I've worked every type of shift there is and now would not want to work anything else. If the only choice were to go back to 8 hrs 5 days a week I think I'd have to find a new career!
Lennonninja, MSN, APRN, NP
1,004 Posts
After college (the first time through) I usually worked 6 days a week and felt like I never had the time to rest and do anything not work related. Finding out that nurses usually work 3 12s was a big draw for me. All summer I did a nurse internship that was 3 12s and then worked 1 10 hour shift a week at my normal job too, and even though it was more than 40 hours, it felt like I had more free time because I had more days off. I work 12s as a patient care tech, and even though I usually run myself ragged, I'd still rather work longer hours for fewer days.