12 hour shifts vs. 8 hour shifts

Nurses General Nursing

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Nurses, please give me some inputs please. I am wondering for those who do 12 hours shift, do you feel like you have enough time with your children? Some say, no because they feel like they are always working such as working every other weekend and have to work on holidays and feel that they do not get to spend much time with their kids. Is that so? What about days when you're off, is that enough time?

For 8 hour shifts, do you feel like you are always working? Do you feel this gives you enough time off to have time with your kids?

Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.

I work mostly 8's and love them as I get home at 3:10pm and have all afternoon and evenign with my kids.

12's are exhausting. Getting home at 7:20pm, right before bedtime, my kids are wound up and don't want to go to bed because they havn't seen me all day.

I am casual, so I pick up when and where I'm called so I still do 12's sometimes, although I far prefer 8's.

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Specializes in ICU, PICU, School Nursing, Case Mgt.

I want to start this with one caveat...this is what worked for me..

I am a dyed in the wool night owl--have been all of my life--

I LOVE! LOVE! LOVE 12 hour NIGHT shifts....

I worked (by choice) Fri, Sat and Sun from 19:00 to 07:00--I would walk out of the hospital on Monday morning and not have to work again until Friday Night! :yeah:

My daughter was 8yr at the time I started and would spend the weekends with her father...I was home with her all of the time no== babysitters.

I never felt like I was working Full time. (again :yeah:)

I did this for many years. (the kid is now 28)

There were times I would stack 6 shifts in a row and then have 8 days in a row off...I took several trips without having to take vaca time or pay.

Unfortunately, I now work in Case Mangagement and have to work 5 days a week...I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING 5 times a week.......!:uhoh3:

So, I guess I am in the minority here, but oh my gosh, I wish I had my old schedule back!!!:rolleyes:

BTW-I still stay up all night on the weekends...

s

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I don't understand why 12 are so entrenched. My aunt was a hospital VP and she said they tried several times to switch from 12s to 8s because the studies have shown very clearly that 12s lead to many more errors. But the nursing staff was completely opposed to it and they could never get it changed.

I know many nurses like 12s because you only work three days a week, but I don't think the extra days off make up for the drawbacks. On the days you work, you don't have time to do anything else - you come home, maybe see your family for a few minutes, go to bed and do it all over again the next day. Plus you are giving up 10% of your pay because you only work 36 hours a week instead of 40. With 8s, you can do other things on the days you work, although you do only have 2 days off a week. And more importantly, nurses make fewer mistakes working 8s.

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I hate 12hour shifts! I work pediatric Icu and it is so draining! I realized even if you have 4 days off you still pick up shifts or work another job that defeats the purpose of the days off. It does have its perks when you go on vacation because you are using less time. 8 hour shifts are nice but it leaves you with no time for appts but it gives you a mental break when the hours go by! In my opinion 10 hour shifts are the best you still get out early enough to enjoy family and you get three days off plus you get a full 80 hr paycheck and if you work the weekends its more money but that's hard to staff in the hospitals. I do think most places should offer flex shifts especially in the critical care areas just to allow mental breaks.:p

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i've been a nurse for 27 years and have worked 8 and 12 hr shifts. i absolutely despise 8 hr shifts. i have 2 very young boys at home and have ample time to spend with them and attend school functions without any problems. it seems to be much easier to work around 12 hr shifts for days off than 8's by far. theory is just that. try them both and with few exceptions you'll find 12 hrs much more flexible and you'll not only have time for your family but yourself. i have 3-4 days off at a time very frequently and have time to sleep on my work days as my spouse helps with the kids on those days.

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Good topic. I'm a new grad who just got hired. I'm gonna be working nights 12 hours 7p-7a. I was gonna go full time 3-11p shift, but I switched soon as I saw there was a 7p-7a full time on another unit. I feel like nights 12 hours is better anyway. I'm still young. I have no kids. I stay up late anyway. I can get only 5 hours of sleep and I'm ok. 3 days a week and then 4 days off....fine by me! Plus I like the vibe on night shift. Everyone works better together. I used to work as an aid and worked nights 1x week and days 2x week. Everyone is different. We all have different lifestyles. I didn't like the idea of working 3-11 5x week! I have a friend my age who works 3-11 and she says she's sick of it! She has no time for her friends cause on days she's off she just feels like staying home and sleeping.

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Has anyone done 2 -12s and 2- 8s? I think that, for me, with 3 small children, this might work out well, but I'm not sure. There is the drawback of 4 shifts per week instead of 3, but I think it will allow me to be able to go to more activities.

I work two 12s and two 8s and I hate it. Imagine my suprise after I started working when I found out that I was the ONLY nurse who had rotate day/night- EVERY WEEK. I"m a new nurse, so my schedule is based on what "holes" need to be filled.

It seems like I"m working everday and I have no life. Those 8 hour shifts can extend to 9-12 hour shifts when the unit is short staffed (which is most of the time) or you have to catch up on your work. Then you can't forget about the time it takes to commute. The only time I get two days off in row is on the weekend.

When I was a PCT, I worked three 12s and had long stretches off that ranged from 4-8 days, depending on how I arranged my schedule. I miss those days.

Two months down and four more to go before I can transfer.

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Specializes in Government.

I only work 8 hour shifts. I tried 12s and I hated it; always exhausted. I prefer to work more days and have a better balance to each day. I know this is a YMMV thing. 8's work for me.

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Hi everyone, I am looking for 8 hours shift as RN. I am struggling with 12 hrs shift. I am a single mom with a P-K school child. There is no way I want to leave my child at school and after hours school over 12 hrs/ day. If anyone know there is a 8hrs shift job in Naples FL, please let me know. Thank you!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

I can't do overnight twelves. Tried it. Awful. 12 hour days, on the other hand...pure perfection. :)

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Specializes in NICU.

I work 8 hour night shifts as a 3 on, 2 off schedule. It works out pretty well for me, but I would love to have more than 2 days off in a row. I think if I worked 12s, I would never see my husband.

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I loveeeeeeee loveee loveee 12 hr shifts!!!!! Yes you barely spend time with your family for 3 days but u have 4 days to love , hug, kiss, play with your family:) amazinggg! You can work m,t,w one week and fri sat sun next week ! That's 8 days off :)

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