Scheduling - 6 days on, 8 days off

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Specializes in CTICU/CVICU.

Hi all! I'm a Cardiothoraic Surgery ICU nurse, still a fairly new nurse with 1 year experience. I enjoy my job and love that I can self-schedule. I work nights.

I'm thinking about scheduling myself for 6 days off, 8 days on so I can travel more in these next few months without using any PTO time. I'm single with no kids (except a 4 month old puppy).

Has anyone done this schedule before? I have a few coworkers who have and got mixed reviews. I'll love to hear from people who have worked 5 or more days straight. I've done 4 in a row, not more. I can also do it for half the schedule to just text it out.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

I did it as a new grad, due to visitation schedule with my kids and their dad. I did it that way for about a year and a half I think, and then I couldn't do it anymore.

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Specializes in LTC and School Health.

Sounds like easy burnout to me. You're probably want to sleep the first two days off. Does your unit require any set amt. of weekends to be worked?

My job is self schedule as well but days have to work 2 weekends and nights one weekend.

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Specializes in CTICU/CVICU.

We have to work 4 weekend shifts (for nights, it's Friday and Saturday nights) and one Sunday night.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

I do that all the time. I love it. I also work night and working 5 or 6 nights in a row then having many days off lets me get much better sleep since I am minimizing the number of times I have to convert from NOCs to regular life days. I become truely nocternal and get great sleep after the first shift or two. Also having 6-8 days off in a row lets me really get involved in otherthings. I come back to work refreshed and ready to work. Working a couple days on then having a couples days off was killing me and buring me out quickly. I wouldn't go back.

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Oh, I would love to have a schedule like that. I thought it was common to work five days in a row, not four? Somebody come back in and lemme know what's going on...?

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Specializes in CTICU/CVICU.

Good info, PMFB! I think I'm going to go for it. I already work 4 days a week bc I do OT regularly. But with 8 days off, I can sprinkle in my OT days and still have a few days off.

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Specializes in CTICU/CVICU.

Well, I signed up today for the 6 on, 8 off schedule. We shall see how it goes!

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Specializes in LTC and School Health.
Well, I signed up today for the 6 on, 8 off schedule. We shall see how it goes!

Keep us posted.

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Specializes in CTICU/CVICU.

Definitely.

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Specializes in CTICU/CVICU.

So I didn't get a have to do a complete six days on. I worked one night, then was put on call the 2nd night and then worked 4 nights in a row. I definitely felt like I could have done another night but we'll never know. I'll try again when I start a new six days on this Friday.

I am still in the midst of enjoying my eight days off! In Florida now, visiting a friend and didn't have to use any PTO!

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I'm seriously considering this as well. I'm 57 and have always worked nights - and only having to do that 'turnaround' day twice a month is very, very appealing to me. The thing I DON'T like is having to work every other weekend - right now I only work one Friday, one Saturday and one Sunday per four weeks' schedule. Hmmm...........

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