How many days do you work in a row?

Nurses General Nursing

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I got my schedule and I work 5 nights in a row, then 5 nights off, and it repeats. Kind of discouraged about the working 5 nights in a row, wondering if Im going to burn out? (8 hour shifts).

Specializes in Medsurg.

I work 3 12 hour shifts in a row, but have done as many as 6. It is doable. Not ideal, but I think 8 hour shifts should be fine. Just be sure to get plenty of sleep.

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I work 2 full time jobs. 12hr shifts. 13nights in 2 weeks. 1 day off every pay period.

CVICU at one job, Urgent care E.R. At the other job.

No burnout here

WOW! And here I was grumbling about 4 12s in a row. Puts me to shame.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
This. The majority of the working world in the United States works 5 8 hr shifts per week.

If you are full time working 8 hr shifts as a staff nurse, you will need to work 5 days/week. 3 12s depends on where you work and the needs of the unit.

Yeah, but nursing is different and more draining than many of those 9-5 jobs. I think more nurses would burn out if they had to work five days a week instead of three.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
I work 2 full time jobs. 12hr shifts. 13nights in 2 weeks. 1 day off every pay period.

CVICU at one job, Urgent care E.R. At the other job.

No burnout here

Curious...is there a particular reason you want to work two full-time jobs? Why not just work FT at one place and PRN or PT at the other place? And how long have you been doing this?

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I've been following your thread, just wanted to ask if you sticked with med surg still? How are you feeling about it now?

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Specializes in ICU.

no more than two 12's

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I work whatever serves the need of my department. As in, some weeks it's 4x10s, some weeks it's 5x8s. Mostly 4x10s. My hours per week requirement is 40... But then there's call. *Technically* per the rules that the division of nursing has - we can't work more than 60 hours in a week (Sunday to Sunday).

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Specializes in PICU, peds, nursing instructor.

We work 12 hour shifts, so I try to keep mine together as much as possible....2 on, 3 off, 1 on, for example, or 3-4 on, followed by 5-6 days off, depending on weekend requirements, holidays, etc. During the school year, my first night "on" is usually preceded by getting up with my kids at 6:30 am, getting them off to school, doing chores, working out, and sometimes a one hour nap before the afternoon bus stop/homework/dinner routine, then I leave for work at 5:45 pm. So when I am done at work the next morning, I have been up for 26-28 hours straight, and I am DONE. So I usually try to do two in a row max during the week, three in a row if its the weekend.

In the summer, without the crazy school schedule, I do 4 in a row all summer, which allows me 10 days off after a four day stretch. If I take a vacation day, I can sometimes do three in a row, 10-11 days off. That works out nicely for us as a family, we have lots of time off to enjoy summer activities.

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5 in a row, 8-10 hrs depending on how much I want to accomplish. Weekends off.

5 consecutive 8 hr nights with 5 consecutive days off sounds ideal. You'll have about 15 hrs off to commute, eat and sleep each day, a consistent sleep schedule and then practically a vacation following each stretch. You won't even need to burn up a whole day catching up on sleep after only an 8 HR shift.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I don't see how this is bad. You get 5 off after 5 on. I work 6 8 hour shifts, then get 4 off. The 2nd week I work 2 on, 2 off. You do what you gotta do right? Make sure to do self care and I think you'll be fine. I have a friend who does 7 on, 7 off and she's fine. Good luck to you.

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I work 4 10hr shifts in a row then have three days in a row off. I feel burned out but it's more due to my workload than my schedule. I actually love my schedule

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Specializes in Critical care.

I just finished a five in a row stretch of 12hr shifts... not typical, and by no means pleasant, but that was the way the cookie crumbled this time. Usually though I only work 3 in a row with maybe an on call day tacked in at the beginning or end of that stretch (so the potential to work 4 in a row).

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