policy for days in a row work

fergus51 · Jan 10, 2004

I don't think nurses should routinely work 5 shifts in a row. You do make more mistakes when you work 60 hours in 5 days. Most hospitals I know of schedule nurses for 4 on- 4 off and you can work overtime on your four off. So we sometimes do 5 in a row, but it is NOT the routine. The hospital is not allowed to schedule nurses for six in a row.

Is there a reason your facility doesn't do 4 on 4 off?

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2004

In my younger days it wasnt unusual for me to work as many 7 days a week.

I spent one whole year working every single day without even one sickday off. Damn I was stupid then.

StokoRN · Feb 27, 2004

I don't think that is a valid policy. Our ED went to 12s about 2 years ago and tried to limit shifts in a row to 2. That didn't even come close to working. My currrent schedule is to work night (1800-0600) weekends (Fr-Su) and take 4 days off. A few years ago, when I worked PACU, I also took lots of call and moonlighted in an ED and many times worked many days in a row. While in that ED I worked with a RN whose sched was 1100-2300 7 on and 7 off. He was a good nurse and at times was a little testy but I never saw him as even remotly dangerous.

I guess I have a real problem with management trying to solve problems, staffing or other, by making blanket policies. I prefer to see these situations handeled on a case by case basis. Besides, there will be times when the only person willing to cover a sick call will be violating the policy, then what do you do? Work short(er than usual)?

ernurse2244 · Feb 28, 2004

When I was younger, I worked nights, 7 on 7 off with one 8 hour shift in the middle. I must admit to being grouchy when I first woke up each afternoon, but I felt alert by the time I got to work. The 7 days off were wonderful! Now we work 2 or 3 or 4 in a row and seldom have only 1 night off between stretches. We self schedule and are on a permanent 3 week rotating schedule. All of us are flexible about filling out when someone calls in sick or takes vacation.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Feb 28, 2004

What works for one person is not going to work for another. One of the reasons to do self scheduling is that everyone gets as close as they can to an optimum schedule for them. I think that those that want to do more than 4 in a row should be able to, but also that if errors or irritability is a problem policies can be made after the fact to limit hours. Perhaps some people get in the grove of work and do better, and some need frequent rest periods.

veetach · Feb 29, 2004

I think a lot has to do with how busy your ED is. I used to work in a hospital that would allow us to work as many days as we wanted. As long as it did not create massive amounts of OT. BUT we were not nearly as busy as the ED that I currently work in.

We work in a union hospital and the union contract currently prevents us from working a 7 on 7 off schedule, but thats ok because no one wants it.

Most RN's in my dept dont even want to work 3 in a row, because it is exhausting. Right now, night shift does a 3 day weekend when it is their weekend to work, and by the time we all leave on that 4th morning we look like we have been hit by a truck!

Personally, I think 7 in a row is too much.

Trauma Columnist · Feb 29, 2004

You are so right about the pace of the ER being the telling point! I work in a 62,000 visits/year level one trauma center and people that work nights, want their three 12's in a row. When I worked nights - that's what I wanted to.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2004

amen to nights, the only way