How many hours is your shift?

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Just curious as to how many hours your normal shift is/was in psych. Where I work, we have 8 hour shifts, though some people will work 16 hours (sometimes by choice, other times by mandation). They also have 8 hour shifts where I did my practicum.

Are 8 hour shifts common in psych?

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Specializes in PMHNP/Adjunct Faculty.

Many independent chains of psych hospitals do 8 hour shifts. I have found that psych units connected to a large health network or medical hospital have a greater chance of having 12 hour shifts (or that is what I have experienced in the South). I work 12 hour shifts

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Specializes in Mental Health.

12hours

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Most nurses work 8 hours shifts at the psych hospital I recently started in. They recently started experimenting with 12 hour shifts and supposedly there will be a facility-wide vote in the future to determine if we make the switch. I like 8s personally. My brain just can't function at the RN level for 12 hours in a row.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Every psych job I've worked has been 8s. They seem to be the norm.

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Specializes in Pscy / Mental Health.

My site has both 8 and 12 hr

shifts on the 3 units .

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We have 8 hour shifts as well.

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Interesting. I wonder why 8's are so common in psych compared to elsewhere. The two place I have been have been 8's, though one had a weekend option that was 12's.

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8 Hour shifts at my facility; but you can work overtime "a double" up to 16 hours.

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8 hours. Our DON and Administrator firmly believe 8 hours is enough in psych. That said, I work 12 and 16 hour shifts to cover gaps.

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Have worked both 8's and 12's. Most of them night shift.

Had to leave my last position. Worked 12 hour nights for 7 years. At 55 my body was starting to tell me it was time to quit. Diabetes and HTN getting out of control. Tried to finagle an 8 PM shift, but only offered 12 hr. days. Decided was time for a change.

Took a position in an outpatient clinic, in 7 months since changing, have lost 25 pounds. A1C and B/P are back to normal limits.

Don't think I ever want to go back to 12 NOC's. Not worth the price.

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8 Hour shifts at my facility; but you can work overtime "a double" up to 16 hours.

You can also work a double shift (16 hours) at my facility also. You can also be forced to stay if the next shift is short staffed.

8 hours. Our DON and Administrator firmly believe 8 hours is enough in psych. That said, I work 12 and 16 hour shifts to cover gaps.

I'm curious to know why she believes 8 hours is enough in psych. Not that I agree/disagree, just curious as 8 hour shifts do seem much more common than other areas.

Have worked both 8's and 12's. Most of them night shift.

Had to leave my last position. Worked 12 hour nights for 7 years. At 55 my body was starting to tell me it was time to quit. Diabetes and HTN getting out of control. Tried to finagle an 8 PM shift, but only offered 12 hr. days. Decided was time for a change.

Took a position in an outpatient clinic, in 7 months since changing, have lost 25 pounds. A1C and B/P are back to normal limits.

Don't think I ever want to go back to 12 NOC's. Not worth the price.

Doesn't sound worth it to me. So glad your health has improved!!

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