VA Palo Alto

[PioneerRN]

Does anyone work at the Palo Alto VA? Does anyone know whether their nurses work 8 hour, 10 hour, or 12 hour shifts? Any information would be greatly appreciated. I am currently in the middle of the pre-employment process and am curious to know what my schedule will be like.

Thank you

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

I work at a VA. Usually most VAs will offer 6 12's and an 8 or 2 12's 2 8's if you work a floor/unit, however, even the floor/unit managers reserve the right to make you work 5 8's (most don't though because they would have no staff).

[PioneerRN]

2 hours ago, OUxPhys said:

I work at a VA. Usually most VAs will offer 6 12's and an 8 or 2 12's 2 8's if you work a floor/unit, however, even the floor/unit managers reserve the right to make you work 5 8's (most don't though because they would have no staff).

Thank you OUxPhys. Yeah I really would not want to work 5 8's. I wouldn't mind the 6 12's and an 8 or 2 12's and 2 8's but 5 8's sound brutal! At your hospital do they not utilize the 10 hour shifts?

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

39 minutes ago, PioneerRN said:

Thank you OUxPhys. Yeah I really would not want to work 5 8's. I wouldn't mind the 6 12's and an 8 or 2 12's and 2 8's but 5 8's sound brutal! At your hospital do they not utilize the 10 hour shifts?

Not really. Some outpatient jobs do and a few inpatient case managers and NPs do but not floor nurses.

[gfrivera89, BSN, RN]

when you say 6 12's, that is 6 days in a row working 12 hours shifts, not the usual 3 days on 12 hours shifts and then get 4 days off?

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

If it’s like our VA here, the inpatient rotation goes like this: 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on (8-hr + 12-hr), 3 off.

The 3’s are the weekends. The example above started on Monday. The work week begins after midnight, starting at 12:01 am on Sunday morning and goes through midnight Saturday night. I don’t know about other VAs, but ours get at least a full 40 hours out of every fulltime employee.

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

On 7/7/2020 at 3:28 PM, gfrivera89 said:

when you say 6 12's, that is 6 days in a row working 12 hours shifts, not the usual 3 days on 12 hours shifts and then get 4 days off?

No, it means 6 12's in a two week period. Most set it up as 3 12's one week and 3 12's another week. However, VA requires 40 hours so one of those weeks have to have an 8 hour shift.