what do you all think about 12 hour shifts?

lauron9 · Jul 9, 2007

I've worked 12 hour night shifts for 6 years and I wouldn't want it any other way. Some weeks my nights are three in a row and some weeks my nights are split. Either way is fine. As much as I like the 12 hour shifts, every now and then it's nice to only work 8 hours. The night just flies by!!

SweetLadyJ · Jul 9, 2007

I am not a nurse (yet), but the 12-hr shifts for 3-4 days a week is one aspect of a nursing career that I admire. I too hate coming into work 5 days a week for 8 hours a day. That takes up so much leisure time for myself.

shastacicuRN · Jul 9, 2007

I agree that it is very difficult working 12 hour shifts and having a schedule that varies every week and with only one or two days off at a time. Especially with night shift. You do spend most of your time trying to catch up! I couldn't catch up either eventually on nights. After about 6 years on the night shift, I had to go to the day shift. I was so exhausted. Going to day shift really helped. But as I get older..some 12 years later on days.. I get exhausted from the days too... and need a few days to recover as well. The 12 hour shifts are good in some ways, but there is also a price to pay... as the body wears out with the longer hours.

RavenC · Jul 9, 2007

Question for those who like 12 hour shifts! Do you do the same schedule every week?
See where I work I do 12 hour shifts and the days vary every week, so I find it very hard to adjust and not too feel exhausted and wanting to sleep on my days off.
For example my schedule for one month is:
1st week Sunday, Wednesday, Friday
2nd week Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
3rd week Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
4th week Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday
I don't know if it's the varying of the schedule or the 12 hours shifts that wear me out. Some days I do crave the normalacy of a 9-5 job, but I think that may be my age showing.

I did 12 hour shifts at a previous job. It was off Mon-Tues-work Wed & Thurs- off Fri-Sat-Sun; work Mon & Tues, off Wed & Thurs; work Fri-Sat-Sun. It always rotated that way. The problem was the three days in a row, but I never collapsed on my days off. With a good night's sleep I was good to go. The worst was Sunday, because having been on my feet so much my ankles would swell and I'd have a horrible backache, even with OTC meds. So I hated those days. Part of the problem was that there was no desk nurse on the weekends because "It's so much easier on the weekends." They completely ignored the stress of additional visitors, only having access to covering doctors, only having two med nurses instead of the weekday three, and since it was LTC, why did they schedule admissions on weekends. My new job will be four 10-hour days and I expect that to be much better. Personally, I would not like your schedule, especially the fourth week. Why do the 12's if you don't get your three in a row? I'd try talking to someone about a more regular schedule. Maybe another nurse would prefer it too and would work with you on a better schedule. And it's not your age...can't be cause it's not mine either.

SouthernLPN2RN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Jul 9, 2007

I would kill for an eight hour dayshift position. I feel that 12's take away from the family too much. Here's an example of my week: catnap day of 1st noc, work that noc, sleep until 1600 the next day, repeat however many nights I work. On the day I work off, I end up sleeping 12 or more hours. I don't have enough family time. I would absolutely love it if I could have a routine down, but I can't. My oldest is in school, youngest starts 4k this year, so the afternoon/eves are the only times I can really see them, yet I'll either be asleep or at work or grumpy. :angryfire

LPNEMSCT · Jul 9, 2007

I'm still in nursing school (LPN)but when I graduate I plan on working two twelve's on the weekend from 7pm-7am and that way I have all week to go to school to get my RN.

Over-the-hill-Nurse · Jul 9, 2007

I think that there is a wide variety of differences in the staffing, unit size, and so forth that also plays a part in how those 12 hours go in a day. For example, I work in a CCU. We have a 9 bed unit, are staffed with 2 RN's, and a monitor tech/secretary. We do primary care so we have no techs/aides or other people to help out. We do all our own blood draws, deal with the docs, do all our own orders, baths, answer call lights, deal with the families, are also on the code team and rapid response team. The load is heavy. We are lucky to have a lunch break or any break for that matter. Most of the time we eat on the run just trying to stay caught up on things. When a patient crashes, it is even doubly difficult to manage things. We don't do computer charting as of yet so everything is paper. The charting unfortunately is often times left until after you change shifts. Doing the 12 hour shifts does not give us any extra time to catch up on anything.. But I can't blame it all on the 12 hour shifts. Even if we worked 8 hours or 10 hours, things would still be difficult. My problem is that I really love nursing and continue to stay in it despite all of the difficulties. There are numerous things I can blame it on such as shortage of nursing staff, no incentives to stay, long hours, and I can go on and on.... so do the 12 hours work for me? No. As I said, I am dead tired by the time I get home. For those that have better circumstances where they work, maybe the 12 hours does work for them. There is so many considerations that go into "working 12 hour shifts"

Soon2BNurse · Jul 9, 2007

I seem to remember someone mentioning how hard it was to work 12hrs and nights. For some people, that is the only way they can. My husband for instance would rather work nights and 4 days a week (mandatory 4 days for his job) than have to work days or mornings. Why? Because if he works anything but nights, he is late and can't seem to wake up in time no matter how long he has worked those hours. Nights is definitely better for him because then he doesn't have to worry about waking up on time. Just my $0.02 :)

adoyo · Jul 10, 2007

I totally agree. Love the 3 12s and the luxury of not having to drive five days per week.

12 hour shifts drain me to death!! I am usually productive the whole morning upto around 4 pm ( that is a shift from 7.30 am to 20.30 hrs.] afterwhich I feel like retiring from nursing altogether and curse the day I was born a nurse!!

During Winter season, the 12 hour shift is even more killing than usual since it's like getting up in d night, working without seeing any sunshine at all n then retiring to bed again!!

In a nutshell, researchers say that the human brain works best for the first 8 hours at work n then its output starts t deteriorate. Being trusted with human lives, is it really advisable to make nurses do 12 Hour shifts?

Kelly_the_Great · Jul 10, 2007

Yeah, Adoyo.

I just went to a professional nurse association's meeting, where many of the attendees were in management. Anyways, one of the issues, which was being addressed was nurse fatigue in r/t # of hrs. worked. They were talking about the research and that the total # of med errors is dramatically increased by the 12th hour worked.

They were proposing ways this could be remedied, etc. And I honestly was a little bit flabergasted in that I was thinking, "Duh, how 'bout not scheduling nurses to work 12 hr. shifts in the 1st place?". I mean, on a good day during a 12 hr. shift, you're gonna work @ least 12.5, right?

Of course, I say this and yet, I hypocritically didn't open my mouth to offer a solution either... :rolleyes: (was afraid i'd sound like a smart@$$)

SweetLadyJ · Jul 10, 2007

For those of you who are complaining about these 12 hour shifts, are you all working more than 4 days a week???

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jul 10, 2007

For those of you who are complaining about these 12 hour shifts, are you all working more than 4 days a week???

Nope, I loathe and despise 12 hour shifts, even working only 3 days a week.