Switch to 12-hour Shifts

Aviationurse · Oct 29, 2009

i work as an agency nurse in psych /detox unit ...it is 12 hours for agency and regular staff ie everyone except the unit secretary...( shift starts at 7p-7a or 7a to 7p ).....i like it but as an agency nurse end up doing all the work (7p-7a) because the regular staff is coming from their other job..take x4 hour break and i ended doing the paper work/ do phone triage etc/orient and precept new grad who is going to be charge nurse on nights...because the regular staff is snoring loudly/ asleep in the nurses station by 9 pm.....

Jules A, MSN · Oct 29, 2009

We have people that do 8s and people that do 12s. We love it although I would guess it makes scheduling more difficult.

fawnsternurse · Oct 31, 2009

I love working the 12 hr shifts to such a point that I will not even interview for jobs that are 8 hrs.

Give me my three 12 hrs . I have more days off and if I want to do OT I can but if I need to rest more that week or have other plans I can do that. I need my "down time" so I can give more back when I am at work. Working 5 days a week , 8 hr shifts make me feel that All I do is live, breathe, eat , sleep and work.

Yuck!

elkpark · Oct 31, 2009

Years ago, I was involved in pushing for a switch to 12-hour shifts on the psych unit where I worked. Turned out that all we ("pro-12" people) had to do was draw up a hypothetical schedule that showed how many more days off you would have working 12s, and the others who were skeptical were ready to sign up!

The place I work now has people who work 12s and people who work 8s, but that is becoming more and more of a scheduling problem and administration is pushing for the "8-hour people" to switch to 12s.

Bowgod's Lady · Nov 2, 2009

We work with both 8 and 12 hour shift staff. This has pros and cons. Well staff may have more days off, it seems the teams made of 8 hours staff were a good consistent team work . Able to work together and predict each others reactions due to close interactions 5 days a week. The 12 hour staff only working 3 days a week don't get the solid team consistency. Though only working 3 days a week is better for decreased burn out.

JenTNRN · Nov 29, 2009

Our hospital forced everyone to switch from 8's to 12's with exception of a few people who medically cannot work 8's last march in hopes to improve staffing by only having to schedule 2 shifts versus 3. Well, it has resulted in more burnout, less staff, and higher turnover. Psych is very difficult for me to do 12 hours. I am too mentally drained. I didn't use to feel like this when I did 8 hour shifts. I am actually going back to Med-Surg! I hate to be negative, but it didn't work out in my hospital. Also, our dayshift 8 hour nurses inconsistently had a 3-11 nurse coming in, so I would have to pick up patients at 3!

ezrn77 · Dec 3, 2009

I work on a general women's psych unit, we do three 12's the first week and then three 12'8 and an 8 the following week, I love it!!!! IT really works well for the daily continuity of care. There is the senior staff nurse who works 8 hours a day monday thru friday otherwise we all do 12's.

pinkiepie_RN · Dec 8, 2009

My unit just recently switched to 12-hour shifts; the only people exempt are PRN staff. Some people like it, some people don't, but one of the reasons I took the position was for the 12-hour shifts versus 8. Sometimes it feels like the first 4 hours drag on forever, but I like them.

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · Dec 9, 2009

The first time I worked 12-hour shifts after five years of doing eights, I thought it was going to do me in. To be fair it was in rehabilitation, which involved a lot of heavy physical labor (lifting, assisting with transfers and PT, etc.). I haven't worked on a mental health unit that did 12s.