The hospital I work at is thinking of switching from 8 hour shifts to 12 hour shifts. I personally prefer to work 8 hour shifts because:
1. There is less of a chance that I'll have to work days (I hate working days).
2. I only work part time and I feel like if we start working 12 hour shifts I'll get less hours since there are less nurses needed to cover each shift.
3. When I work overtime (16 hour shift) I get paid for 8 hours of overtime instead of 4 hours if I were to work 12 hour shifts.
4. The unit I work on is an extremely busy orthopedic floor and I am usually exhausted after working 8 hours.
5. I live about 35 minutes from the hospital I work at so my 8 hour work day usually turns into a 9 hour (or more) workday. If I were to work 12 hour shifts I would have just enough time to shower and sleep before going back to work.
I think if I was full time I would prefer 12 hour shifts so I could have more days off but since I am only part time, 8 hour shifts work just fine for me. Does anyone else prefer 8 hour shifts?
What would really drive my insane is if we switched to how RT is doing it now. 12 hour shifts, "sort of" self scheduling, and every other weekend! F THAT! I like my known rotation and every 3rd weekend rotation. I couldn't do every other weekend, no way. Literally zero personal life (not that I have one now anyways).
Here lately I've been picking up random 4 hour shifts, 7pm-11pm. That's by far our busiest time and they need the extra help. While it is super busy, as I often get an admit right away (because I don't complain), my 4 hours goes by super quick. Aaaaaaand I get that Taco Bell 4th meal after work so.....another positive.
In general, I prefer 8 hr shifts. Not nearly as exhausting and I strongly feel they are safer for patients.
That said, I know working every other weekend and holiday is no good when you have a family or want an active social life. 12s usually means you only work every 3Rd weekend and holiday. That, and just mention 8 hour, full time nights to me and I think I'd cry. It's also no bueno and not sustainable for a lot of people. To retain nurses, particularly young nurses and those with families, I think employes need to offer a 12 hr option.
I solve the every other weekend problem by working every Friday and Saturday. Unless I'm going on vacation it is always R,Fri,Sat followed by four glorious days off. Now if I could convince my SO to move to Kauai where I could maximize those days life would be good!
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Jumping back in to this discussion.
What would really drive my insane is if we switched to how RT is doing it now. 12 hour shifts, "sort of" self scheduling, and every other weekend! F THAT! I like my known rotation and every 3rd weekend rotation. I couldn't do every other weekend, no way. Literally zero personal life (not that I have one now anyways).
Here lately I've been picking up random 4 hour shifts, 7pm-11pm. That's by far our busiest time and they need the extra help. While it is super busy, as I often get an admit right away (because I don't complain), my 4 hours goes by super quick. Aaaaaaand I get that Taco Bell 4th meal after work so.....another positive.
If you work every other weekend, you just have to get creative with your personal life. It's easily done. I had a fine personal life for the four decades that I worked every other weekend or more.
12s usually means you only work every 3Rd weekend and holiday. .
I didn't realize working 12 hour shifts means you only work every third weekend. I would love that! I work every other weekend right now but I usually pick up shifts on weekends. Or my coworkers want to switch shifts with me and I end up working several weekends in a row. I once went two months without having a weekend off.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
In general, I prefer 8 hr shifts. Not nearly as exhausting and I strongly feel they are safer for patients.
That said, I know working every other weekend and holiday is no good when you have a family or want an active social life. 12s usually means you only work every 3Rd weekend and holiday. That, and just mention 8 hour, full time nights to me and I think I'd cry. It's also no bueno and not sustainable for a lot of people. To retain nurses, particularly young nurses and those with families, I think employes need to offer a 12 hr option.
That may be true where you work, but is not universally the case. I've worked many jobs where 12 hour shifters still worked every other weekend and every other holiday.
That may be true where you work, but is not universally the case. I've worked many jobs where 12 hour shifters still worked every other weekend and every other holiday.
Crazy. I would think that would result in overstaffing (though I admittedly never did/don't understand scheduling).
Your unit is going to require approximately the same FTEs to cover the shifts, so I don't see your hours being cut. I don't think you need to worry about being forced to work days, either. Unless you've somehow screwed up so that management feels they need to keep a closer eye on you. (Some examples: bedside nurse placed a central line on night shift because he was in NP school and "knew how.", nurse found sleeping more than once, nurse posted photos of his co-workers sleeping on FaceBook -- and they retaliated by posting multiple photos of him sleeping.)
Your overtime policies may vary -- WILL vary -- over the course of your career. Best not to depend upon it.
You'll only be exhausted three days a week instead of five. And yes, working 12s means all you do that day is work and sleep. But you'll have four complete days off a week.
Please tell me that central line thing did not actually happen!
I think it is all preference for 8 vs 12 hours. I personally transitioned from 12 to 8 hours. Sure, I do work a day or two more than I used to, but leaving the hospital at 1530 has had a positive impact on my personal life.
I have extra time to:
1. Cook
2. Go to the gym
3. Have night plans with my significant other
4. Catch up on chores around the house
Again, it is all preference for how many hours a day you want to work. Different people have different needs and different situations. If I want, I could always do overtime and get 12 hours.
Specializes in Med Surg, Perinatal, Endoscopy, IVF Lab.
LOVE my 12 hour shifts! When I first started doing them I thought I would hate it, but I actually love them. I feel like after making the 40 min commute into work, I want to just stay and work and get my hours in. I love my four days off! Now when I do an 8 hour shift... I feel like I haven't even worked =)
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
LOVE my 12 hour shifts! When I first started doing them I thought I would hate it, but I actually love them. I feel like after making the 40 min commute into work, I want to just stay and work and get my hours in. I love my four days off! Now when I do an 8 hour shift... I feel like I haven't even worked =)
I love my 12s, too. It was an easy transition from 8s, and now that I've worked 12s for 32 years, I wouldn't want to EVER go back!
Burks21
23 Posts
Jumping back in to this discussion.
What would really drive my insane is if we switched to how RT is doing it now. 12 hour shifts, "sort of" self scheduling, and every other weekend! F THAT! I like my known rotation and every 3rd weekend rotation. I couldn't do every other weekend, no way. Literally zero personal life (not that I have one now anyways).
Here lately I've been picking up random 4 hour shifts, 7pm-11pm. That's by far our busiest time and they need the extra help. While it is super busy, as I often get an admit right away (because I don't complain), my 4 hours goes by super quick. Aaaaaaand I get that Taco Bell 4th meal after work so.....another positive.