How long are your shifts?

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 3, 2015

A lot of the length of shifts will vary from facility to facility and may also depend on the type of facility.

Here's how it is in my facility, which is a level 2 trauma center and is required to staff a free OR team 24/7 for traumas/emergencies.

8 hour shifts: 7a-330p, 830a-5p, 11a-730p, 3p-1130p, 11p-730a

10 hour shifts 7a-530p

12 hour shifts 7a-730p, 11a-1130p

From 3p-11p, we have 2 RNs and 2 STs on call. They may be called in for emergencies and/or to function as the free trauma team. From 11p-7a, we have another 2 RNs and 2 STs on call. Same as with the 3p-11p on call. Staff are required to sign up for 1 8-hour block of call per week. On weekends (every third), it's a combination of 3 shifts of call and work. Could be 2 work 1 call or 1 work 2 call or 3 call.

2ndChance · Nov 4, 2015

Thanks!

gelli.25 · Nov 6, 2015

I work at a non-trauma hospital:

8hours: 630 to 1500

10hours: 0630 to 1700

12hours: 0630 to 1900

We also have call, but it isn't that bad. 2-4 days of call per nurse, typically. The call is 24hours. No evening or night crew.

Like I said, it isn't a trauma hospital.

Heart_<3_RN · Nov 9, 2015

i work M,T,F 12 hour shifts, call every other weekend, and call 1-2 other days a week

Trauma_Llama · Nov 11, 2015

Level 2 trauma hospital:

I work 0700 to 1900

Other shifts include

8hrs 0700-1500; 1100-1900; 1500-2300

10hrs 0700-1700

12hrs 0700-1900; 1100-2300; 1900-0700

SandraFenway · Nov 11, 2015

A surgery center will have more normal hours with less call burden than a full service hospital OR. Carefully consider how you want your lifestyle to be. A full service OR may have 24 hr coverage shifts that you have to rotate through. Or, middle of the night call you are expected to sign up for. Working in the middle of the night can be a life shortening experience, especially if you are expected to show up again 0700hrs bright eyed and bushy tailed for another full shift. Experienced OR people know all this and it's part and parcel of the job for many of us. There is considerable sacrifice of your private life when you work in some ORs; your children may resent you being on call on Christmas, your spouse may resent your short temper due to fatigue. Look up cortisol, stress and night shift work. It's not all about saving lives, sometimes your own life is sacrificed in small ways. Sorry, not very upbeat! I look back and have regret, what can I say?

sweetRN1205 · Dec 17, 2015

Hello, I am currently working as a psychiatric inpatient nurse and would like to transition to OR. Can anyone tell me please if that is feasible?

Heart_<3_RN · Dec 17, 2015

i think it is feasible, any operating room "should" have a good training program we have many nurses that were floor nurses first and came to the OR with a fine transition, psych is a lot different than the OR but OR is so specialized that you should receive adequate training after when you transition

springchick1, ADN, RN · Dec 19, 2015

M-F 6:00-2:30 with a rotating call schedule. Although the last two days I've worked 6 hours past my shift...

AKYogini · Dec 21, 2015

Depends on where you work!

My old job I worked 7am-3:30pm M-F. Then switched to 9am-5:30pm M-F. On call on 2 weekdays a months 5:30pm-7am. On call 1 weekend every other month Friday 3:30pm-Monday 7am. Pretty amazing hours for the OR. However we were not a trauma OR,not open 24 hours.

I moved and my new job (trauma OR) I work 11a-11p 3x week Rotating days. On call 3pm-11pm one weekday every week. And one weekend day a month.

Meh, OR is a tough schedule with all the call. And trust me, you get called probably 75% of the time if not more