Is it a good idea to work 5 days straight (12 hours shifts/day)?

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Hi nurses! Some of my co-workers have done this before, but at the end of the 5th day they look so tired. Do you think it is worthy? Some of the older nurses say that after the 4th day everything is lost in taxes. Give me your opinion in this matter.

Specializes in ED.

I think its so individual as to how well one could handle it. Generally speaking I agree that multiple 12's can impair someone, but I feel I can handle it better now than when I first started nursing. You know what you're capable of.

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Specializes in CVICU.
Nursing is NOT about remuneration.

I don't know what world you live in, but in my world nursing is not ALL about remuneration, but it IS about remuneration. It is thinking like yours that perpetuates that crappy salaries that nurses get relative to what nurses put up with. When it comes to activities that are not about remuneration I can think of charities that are a lot more deserving of my time gratis than a hospital.

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Specializes in CVICU.

Saying nursing isn't about the money is a typical management line that is used to make nurses feel guilty for asking for what they deserve. It is utter crap.

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I don't know what world you live in, but in my world nursing is not ALL about remuneration, but it IS about remuneration. It is thinking like yours that perpetuates that crappy salaries that nurses get relative to what nurses put up with. When it comes to activities that are not about remuneration I can think of charities that are a lot more deserving of my time gratis than a hospital.

Well said ,that is my sentiments exactly, after we are not in this for the fun , are we?

Let me correct myself. In the case of the remuneration.. in the case of OVERTIME .. the money is not worth the stress we put ourselves in.

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Saying nursing isn't about the money is a typical management line that is used to make nurses feel guilty for asking for what they deserve. It is utter crap.

Well said ,that is my sentiments exactly, after we are not in this for the fun , are we?

Let me correct myself. In the case of the remuneration.. in the case of OVERTIME .. the money is not worth the stress we put ourselves in.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

...never mind. I should have read the whole thread.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I do it every 3rd week! My hospital won't allow more than 40 hr/wk, even though our pay periods are 2 weeks. So, when it's my weekend, I do Thurs, Fri, Sat (week 1) and Sun, Mon, Ties. (Week 2.) I get 6-7 days off before AND after this stretch.

I love it. Honestly, by day 3 you've really hit your stride. You know all the patients, their general plan of care, and the mood of the unit that week. You're a better nurse because of the great continuity of care you provide. You're a better charge because you KNOW what's going on and can predict how the next few days will go, barring some freak tragedy.

It works if you can do it right. "Doing it right" for me means: for those 6 days, I ONLY work. I don't cook, I don't clean, I don't watch movies, I don't go out with friends, I don't even go out to dinner. I wake up, work, go home, unwind for 90 minutes, and go to bed. Full stop, end of story.

And I hope I can continue to do it for years to come :)

Totally agree with this. I did six in a row for about a year as a new grad. Six on, eight off (Thursday through Tuesday, so it didn't put me into overtime). I did it because I would have my kids for a week at a time, and when I worked, they were with their father. During that 6-day period, I would do nothing but work and sleep. Get up, shower, eat dinner with my husband, then do it again. It worked for me, and I wasn't particularly sleep deprived because I completely flipped my schedule during that time.

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