8 or 12 hour shifts for nursing staff?

Specialties LTC Directors

Published

Specializes in Med-Surg, Rehab, LTC.

Do you use 8 or 12 hour shifts for nurses and cnas? Do 12 hour shifts cut down on call ins and save on paying overtime? I want to know the pros and cons. Thanks!

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Specializes in GERIATRICS and REHAB.

When i worked in LTC it was 8 hour shifts and ,we had callins all the time and ot was always an issue. I think 12 hr would be good for that but the 8 hr is good for the pts when they get to see a familar face almost everyday

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Specializes in Geriatrics, WCC.

L've utilized the 12 hour shifts in another facility in the past. the employees either love them or hate them. The only problem I had was when one was vacant, I couldn't fill it.

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If the average age of working nurses is pushing 50, 8 hr shifts are more suitable. The extra time off from 12 hour shifts is spent in bed, trying to recuperate. It's not worth it to many older nurses.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I have 8 hour shifts. I just think it would be harder replacing call offs with 12 shifts. I know now if there is a call off and I just ask the staff to stay over a few hours I get "No". Normally they tell me 8 hours is enough. We also had one time looked at going that way and staff stated they didn't want to. So we have not tried it.

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Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU, Psych, Med-surg...etc....

I have worked 12 hour shifts and worked 3 days (36 hours) and then had off four. I could choose to pick up an extra 4 hours to have 40- but mostly ended up doing an extra shift for 8 or 12 hours unless there were others who would split the time and three of us work 4 hours to cover 12 hours. You have to have people who will actually work and not leave you stuck finishing out the shift if they call off.

Now that I am older, if I were working the floor, I think that 8 hours would be about all I would want to fool with....

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