12 hour shifts

Nurses Safety

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What do you think about nurses working 12 hour shifts with the high level of acuity that we experience on the medical floors. Do you think that it causes burn out of the nurses.

Specializes in LDRP.

See, if I worked 8's, I'd have to work 5 days a week, and I really don't want to do that. Too much work, not enough days off!

I work 3 12's. when im looking for extra work, i'll add in a 8. (so a week w/ 3 12's and an 8 for 44 h) and that 4 days a week is just sucky.

3 12's (not in a row) for me

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I love 12 hour shifts. It leaves me more days to work my medpass job, or, I can pick up a day or 2 and still have a nice amount of days off. 8 hours is just not enough for me to get everything done and I'd have to stay over anyways, so I might as well work 12's and be able to have that continuity of care. I'm on a locked ward with a lot of confused residents and I think it's easier on them--the less switching of staff for them, the better.

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Wow 7 twelves seems like alot. Don't you feel burned out? I guess the bright side would be that you get to know the patients instead of just having them for a few days.

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i love 12's. worked mostly 8's but now working only 12 hour shifts. i think 12 hour shifts give you more time to care for your patients. 8 hours by the time you finish your assessments and give meds take your lunch its time to get ready for report, no time to really care for your patients, other than just the priorities. with 12's you get the time you need. have more time to spend with your patient, taking care of the little things, which makes them feel like they are more than just an assignment. plus, most of the time, you get to give and recieve report from the same nurse, no saying the last shift messed this up or forgot that. and the four days off a week totally prevents the burn out thing. 8 hours 5 days a week burns me out way more than 3 days on 12 hour shifts. i mean you have more than half the week off, half your life spent home. getting ready for work and drive time ect..ect.. takes up a lot of time in life, with 8's you need to do this 5 times a week, that time adds up. end up spending a lot of your supposed own time doing things for work anyway. my o2 anyway

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I have a love-hate relationship with my 12-hour shifts. I hate doing them but love it when I'm off for 3 or 4 days at a time. I'm getting too old to do more than 3 in a row but God love you nurses who can do 6 or 7 in a row. The problem on my unit is that management does not require that for every 12-hour day shift person there is a 12-hour night shift, creating 4 hour holes from 3p-7p, which can be our busiest time of the day. You know, those discharges that are supposed to happen by 11am, never happen until 1 or 2...and just like April showers bring May flowers, discharges bring admissions & transfers.

I tried working straight 8's for a few weeks not too long ago and hated it, that getting up at 5am is a killer. So I alternate 4-8s & 4-12s with 1-8 & 6-12s, keeps me sane.

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

A previous poster reminded me of another feature I enjoy of working my days in a row (though it wouldn't really matter if it was 8's or 12's); that is I get to know my patients very well. It's great if you have a good assignment because the charge nurses will rarely ask you to change, but I can ask to change assignments and it's never really an issue. I get to know the patients well and their parents (NICU).

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Maybe with the nurses who work more than three shifts per week. Then, I think it is too much. Pleaes, when I'm down..... don't work for me on your fourth shift.... thanks in advance

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one time i had a schedule of (2) 16 hr shifts and (1) 8 hr shift. i would alternate wks of 32/40 hrs.

as a hospice nurse, yes, the burnout is there.

but the days off are sooooo worth its weight in gold.

leslie

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:chuckle i am a seasoned (28 yrs in practice) OR nurse and i work 3-12 hr shifts per week. i love it because i am in nurse practitioner school. this gives me free days to study and do clinicals.

even when i was not in school, it was great to have those days off to get things done and spend time with my kid. in my opinion, working every day during the week is a burn out process.

:balloons:

i guess it depends on your needs and your personality for lifestyle.

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:chuckle i am a seasoned (28 yrs in practice) OR nurse and i work 3-12 hr shifts per week. i love it because i am in nurse practitioner school. this gives me free days to study and do clinicals. even when i was not in school, it was great to have those days off to get things done and spend time with my kid.

in my opinion, working every day during the week is a burn out process.

i guess it depends on your needs and your personality for lifestyle.

:balloons:

God is good all of the time and all of the time God is good!!

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I understand that CNA ( the representative union ) at Inland Valley Hospital in California is trying to end 12 hour shifts and go back to 8 hour shifts. From reading this thread it would seem that the nurses probably wouldn't like that as a whole...I wonder...

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there are quite a few that love 12 hours days. banning it would probably be a mistake because you have to appease everyone as much as possible. true, you cannot please everyone, but to cut out 12's would affect many nursing staff members.:o

the burnout is in the nurse and according to what area she/he works in. i think hospice is a drag even for one hour. i feel bad for the patients, but it would be very hard for me.

God is good all of the time and all of the time God is good!!

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