Rotating Shifts?

hica19 · Jan 3, 2007

I work at a place that has rotating shifts. Our shifts are always 12 hours but we usually rotate between day shift and night shift every 4 weeks. I find it easier though to trasition from day shift to night shift than it is to transition for night shift to day shift.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2007

My first job was a day/evening rotation for the first few months. Then for six months I was put on a day/night 12-hour shift rotation and hated it so much I would beg people to take their night shift rotation just to stay on one schedule.

They had a two week of days and two week of night rotation.

Also, I've read articles that of all the schedules the day/night causes more stress and harm to the body.

Good luck with whatever you do.

clemmm78, RN · Jan 4, 2007

That's what we do here in the English hospitals, don't know about the French ones. I rotated for years, days, evenings, nights. We had to do 50% days, 50% off shift. It's kind of neat in one way as you get to see how every shift operates.

You could request a permanent off shift and that did end up happening on many floors. There would be one permanent night nurse, for example, and then the second would be a rotating nurse.

It can be hard sometimes though. I don't know if I'd go back to it.

WANTAFUNJOB · Jan 4, 2007

Shift rotation is NOT a good thing. Avoid it if you can. Some places will give you a straight evening or straight night shift. It is usually with day shift that you must agree to rotate. It has been my experience that it is better to take a full time off tour than to do extreme rotations.

italianrn07 · Feb 22, 2008

I have actually just posted in the first year nursing section about working rotating shifts. I absolutely hate it! I have no social life because my schedule is so different and I never work the same days of the week. Once I get fairly used to night shift I turn around 2 weeks later and work day shift 12 hours. I would not recommend it and would avoid it if at all possible. I really truely believe it causes sleep problems and depression. I have never had problems with sleep before working these whacky shifts.

SarahRNBSN · Feb 22, 2008

On my particular unit at my hospital, we have a lot of day/eve 12/8 rotators and day/night 12 hr rotators. It doesn't seem to work out too badly for most of my fellow RN's. The day/night 12 hr rotators usually do 1 or 2 night shifts a month (usually 2 in a row) and the other 10 or 11 shifts that month are 12 hr days. This is good for those who wanted straight days but are too new to get that schedule because they practically work straight days anyways...And of course the hospital wins because they get away with not paying shift differential to the rotators for their night shifts. Nor do they have to pay any night shift bonus like they do for us straight night nurses. :uhoh21:

RNperdiem, RN · Feb 22, 2008

My jobs were officially listed as rotating, but in practice, I worked days. There were enough people on permanent nights that I only picked up night shift if night nurses were on vacation or out for some reason and nights were short on nurses.

I ended up working days with the very occasional night for a change of pace. Of course, it was understood that if there was a long term shortage on night shift, I would have to work nights more.

caliotter3 · Feb 22, 2008

I worked rotating shifts in another line of work and would not recommend it. If at all possible, you should try to get a permanent shift job. You might be able to handle the shifting at first, but I can tell you that over a long period of time, it will wear on your body. You can't get back your health once permanent damage is done. You also need to really consider whether or not you want to work permanent nights. Most people do not like night shift and avoid it. But many prefer it, like myself. A pitfall to working nights is a permanent case of daytime insomnia. My father worked nights. When he retired, he was up all night for the rest of his life. His body could just not adjust to sleeping at night. Many night shifters complain about this. It's something to think about for those who thrive on night shift.

turkey007 · Mar 5, 2008

I'm trying to come up with a schdule with a mix of 8hrs and 12hr shifts. I see that you work in an area that has this type of schedule. Do you have a copy of the master which I could see? I'm trying to get as many different schedules I can to see what other nurses are working and to use them as a starting tool. Thanks for you help.

MB37 · Mar 5, 2008

That's one schedule I know I can't work - I've done it in the service industry, and I got fired for oversleeping for a shift since my schedule was so out of whack. I like evenings, and I've worked graves and had no problem. I've learned since NS started that I can successfully get up early in the morning too - I just need to be on the same schedule all the time. Thankfully, most hospitals in my area offer straight nights and/or days even to new grads, from what I've heard.

Canadian_Nurse · Mar 5, 2008

I've been working the same schedule for almost 10 years...I work two 12 hour days 07-19, then two 12 hour nights 19-07, then five days off. Granted, if you get up at noon after the second night shift (as I do), you feel hung over all day but you can go to sleep at a normal time and get yourself back to a "normal" schedule for your days off and next set of shifts. Every 12 weeks or so I have to do an extra shift in there as well. I very rarely have trouble with insomnia...maybe once a year. Good luck!