Most consecutive 12's worked in a row?

NurseDennie, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2001

OMG, I don't see how you guys DO that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Three in a row is the max for me for floor nursing. Now I've got an office job and I work office hours, which means often 12 hour days but it is NOT the same thing. Not even close. Not even in the same league. Sheesh!!!

When I was on the floor, I thought it was just *me.* I'm in my 40's and I have a lot of other stuff going on in life besides the job, and I'm a bit thicker in the middle than I'd like to be.

Once I was precepting the most wonderful new graduate nurse. She was at the time 22 years old, straight out of college, a runner, eats salad with nothing but balsamic vinegar on it, a real healthy, young, active individual. Well, at the end of one of our days together - the third of 3 in a row, she looked at me over the patient and just said two words. "Bed time."

Did wonders for my self-esteem!!!!!

God bless you working all those hours. I hope you're not doing yourself any irreparable harm and that you're not too tired to do all the stuff you need to - - - well you know.

Love

Dennie

nilepoc · Nov 18, 2001

Wow, it looks like I am not the only masochist.

I just have to defend myself, by saying it is very hard to turn down a shift when it is offered to you as double time.

And yes I get thanksgiving off after this.

Dplear · Nov 18, 2001

I have got you all beat...I did 60 (yes SIXTY) 12 hour shifts in 2 1/2 months. I did that last year when I wanted to get 25,000 for a down payment on a house. I got the money. I also felt like sleeping for a month after I was done. When you have a goal in mind and a way to achieve it, you can push your body very far when needed.

I know have a set schedule of 7 12's in a row with 7 days off. I am on day 4 of this work week right now.....

Dave

(cousre what also helps is all those shifts and my current ones were all night shifts.)

LilgirlRN, ADN, RN · Nov 18, 2001

One of my coworkers worked a TWENTY hour shift in the ER recently!! The nursing supervisor told her that it was "legal" as long as she was off for eight hours before her next shift!

Jenny P · Nov 18, 2001

And we wonder why we seem to be aging faster than the general population and why there is a nursing shortage? :rolleyes: Did you know that 100 years ago the average lifespan of a person after graduating from nursing school was 15 years? And we also wonder why there are med errors and other terrible things that happen to our patients! :eek:

3 12 hour shifts are my limit; and I need 2 days off after that to recuperate. I can't believe what some of you are doing to yourselves!!! Please do not be my nurse when you are that sleep deprived!

Dplear · Nov 18, 2001

thing is...even when i was doing those shifts and still to this day average 7-8 hours of sleep a day. I do not consider that being slepp deprived. the reson i felt like dleepiong for a month when i was done was that releif that it was over and I could take a break....you know that "i'm on vacation and can sleep forever" type relief?

semstr · Nov 18, 2001

sorry I just have to ask this very provoking question:

(although I've worked up to 7 12h. too, long time ago though)

what about patient- safety?

what about nursing-quality?

I know after 1 12h, you can't think straight anylonger, so how do you do that?

I always tell my students not to work the 12h, and as long as they are at school they can't do more then 5 a month, but as soon as they are finished, they only see more free time.

I don't think that's right. /This has nothing to do with being short of nurses!! That would be a diffeent story.

Take care, Renee

nurs4kids · Nov 18, 2001

My coworker, who routinely does way more 12's than safe, also feels it doesn't affect his ability for patient care. Myself and coworkers have a habit of going behind him, correcting mistakes and overlooking his sleep deprived sarcasm. Sometimes we're too sleepy to REALIZE we're making mistakes.

Actually, I occassionally do 4 in a row. That 4th day is easier than the third; I don't know why. Anything beyond that is unsafe.

funnynurse · Nov 18, 2001

any of you masochists have a family? The most I want to do in a row is 2 and I'm only 29! By the end of the second twelve I am so emotionally and physically drained I need a couple days off to recoop! Working a 12 on a busy day shift when everyone is pulling at you does not help either!

Jenny P · Nov 18, 2001

Dplear, what about your family life, grocery shopping, checkbook balancing, laundry, cooking, eating, cleaning house, etc. life? Maybe if you are doing day shift it is easier than night shift (which is what I work), but my whole life falls apart with sleep deprivation-- which starts to occur after 4 12 hour shifts in a row. That's why I only work 3 in a row; there are too many people who do depend on me too much for me to fall apart like that. After 3 12s in a row, I'm highly emotional and my brain just doesn't always think straight. It isn't fun being that tired.

NurseDennie, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2001

I agree - sometimes you have no idea how tired you are. I worked with a WONDERFUL, brilliant, hard-working woman who was putting two sons through college at the same time. She'd work every shift she could get her hands on.

One morning I came on, and she's sitting in the nurse station, bleary-eyed, and I get report from her that one of the patients K+ is just incredibly high. I can't even remember right now, but it was a panic value and she said she'd called the resident. Then as she finished report, she tells me his maintenance fluid was D5 1/2 with 30!!! of K. I said, "well, it's D5 1/2 now, right?." She just looked at me with that deer-look-in-the-headlight look.

She's a brilliant woman, as I said, and a great nurse. But when you've reached the end of the rope, you just don't make the connections right.

Love

Dennie

KARRN3 · Nov 19, 2001

I FEEL LIKE A WIMP NEXT TO SOME OF YOU, SIX IS THE MOST TWELVES I'VE DONE IN A ROW,21 IS THE MOST CONSECUTIVE DAYS,JUST NINE HOUR SHIFTS THOUGH. DO YOU EVER THINK NURSES ARE JUST GLUTTENS FOR PUNISHMENT.