mfrench

@Canesdukegirl- I am glad they instituted that limit! Even 16 hours seems ridiculous to me. I am sure I will get used to it, but right now being a nursing student, I can barely even do 8 hours without being exhausted. I go home after a partial day and just want to sleep! I know what you mean about the sleepiness on the road-I have felt that way on my way back from clinicals-very scary. @Nurselovejoy88- That is crazy! I didn't even know that they can schedule you like that. I would definitely not agree to taking that shift! Even if there is a call-off, I don't think they should keep nurses who already worked a long shift. It is unsafe practice and can harm the patients. Ethically, I would refuse because I am taking on a commitment to doing what is best for my patients and avoiding harm to them. I am very interested in and adamant about patient safety. Without question, I would risk losing my job for standing up and refusing to work overtime when I am unsafe. Working when I am tired is also a risk to my license, because I am responsible for any errors that I make. I could be taken to court for it! Personally, I feel that not having a job is better than not having a license. I can't say from personal experience, since I have never worked either an 8 or 12-hour shift-even my clinical days are shorter than that. As of right now, I don't think I could do 12-hour shifts unless I get lots of breaks. I am just too exhausted from the work of staying on my feet and taking care of people.

Hello all, I am a nursing student participating in a leadership course this semester and my school has a high emphasis on evidence-based practice. I have heard of different state laws concerning limits for the amount of hours a nurse is allowed to work in one day. We were discussing this fact in one of my classes, and I remembered different studies I have read about safe practice. It is coming under debate whether 12-hour shifts are even safe, since some studies are showing an increase in nursing errors toward the end of these shifts. I would like to have a debate with not just opinions, but facts found in reputable sources. Does anybody have stories or arguments that relate to this topic?