Most consecutive 12's worked in a row?

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Nov 17, 2001

Just got through working SIX mixture of 12 hour and eight-hour days in a row. One day off, then today worked another eight hours. Will have Sunday off. Then will work three 12's, Thanksgiving off, then two eights in a row. Work full time at one hospital and part time at another. I have found taking lots of supplements genuinely helps--CoEnzyme Q-10, BeeAlive Royal Jelly, L-Carnitine, Vitamin C, DHEA, OmegaBrite, among others. Try to eat mostly natural foods and avoid sweets, caffeine, and chocolate.

willie2001 · Nov 17, 2001

Geez! Something like that shouldn't even be allowed. It's not safe no matter how you cut it. Even the most competent nurse, when overly tired is more prone to error. Three 7A-7P shifts in a row are all I will allow myself. After that, I would not consider myself safe. I am a very hard working, dedicated, competent nurse who knows her physical limitations. Sometimes I will follow nurses who are on their 4th or 5th 7P-7A and will find things such as wrong IV solutions hanging, uninfused antibiotics still hanging, other meds not charted or given, etc. Although none of these things are life threatening to patients, the potential for a life threatening error to occur, I believe, is greater. I wonder if these errors would have happened had the nurse not been so tired. None of us owe it to ourselves, our employers, or our patients to try and be supernurses.

kids · Nov 18, 2001

I have done 14 12 hour night shifts (thank heavens) in a row in homecare.

In 1994 (when much younger) while working in LTC I had 4 days days off in the month of December (2 were Christmas Day and New Years Eve), working as Charge or Supervisor (12s) or Team Leader (8s). I took the first week of January off. I still think the paychecks were worth it.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2001

I've done 6 12's in a row, but it was worth it because I was doing it so my Honey and I could go to Vegas for a long weekend. That made it all tolerable! Of course, when I got back, I was facing 5 in a row and that wasn't as fun. I usually don't do more than 3 in a row.

kewlnurse · Nov 18, 2001

You guys are nuts, i work no more than 3 in a row and thats pushing it, and i'll only do that if i get 3 in a row off.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Nov 18, 2001

I did 5 12s once in order to get another week off to go to England for a month

Was a bit younger then :)

CC NRSE · Nov 18, 2001

i used to work 6 12's in a row on a regular basis. i worked nights at the time,... it was so hard for me to adjust to nights,......it was just easier to work 6 in a row and have 8 off before my next stretch. i think the most i ever worked was 8 in a row. it just about killed me!!!

craig,..hope you have some time off after your 8 day stretch!!!! :)

Zee_RN, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2001

Most I did was five 12's. Exhausting. But would do it again for a long stretch off! (and, of course, assuming they were daylight.)

nurs4kids · Nov 18, 2001

I do three every week, occassionally four or five. A coworker routinely works 12-15 in a row (he's keeping up with the Jones' )

spudflake · Nov 18, 2001

I get the sucker award:p 42 straight 12 hr shifts one miserable winter:o in 1993. I lost 20 pounds and almost lost my mind. NEVER AGAIN !!!!!

deespoohbear · Nov 18, 2001

Holy Cow!! Three 12's in a row is my max!! By the end of third day I am wiped!! I just recently did a 6 out of 7 day stretch, not by my choice either!!! I worked 3 12's, had a day off, worked a 12, an 8, and another 12. Then I told the supervisor who is in charge of scheduling not to do that to me again!! It about nearly killed me!!!! She didn't understand my complaint too much. Her comment was, you had a day off!! :( Too bad I was sleeping most of that day to try and get some energy for the next 3 days!! Zzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!