Washington State tries to ban 12 hr shifts for nurses

LovingLife123 · Apr 19, 2019

I like my 12 hour shifts. Yes, I’m tired. But, I would also be tired after 5, 8 hour shifts. Probably even more so.

This again points to people who have no idea what healthcare involves trying to change it. It’s not the hours per se, it’s what we do in those hours that is wearing and tiring.

This is another knee jerk reaction that irritates me. This person has absolutely no clue what she is talking about or getting into trying to make change. Yes, we complain we are tired. But I wish someone would try to understand why we are tired.............

Wuzzie · Apr 19, 2019

I wonder what card games Washington nurses like to play since they only have, you know, 6 patients in the entire hospital.?

Wuzzie · Apr 19, 2019

43 minutes ago, Emergent said:
Here comments are being spread on social media and make her look like an angry witch...

If the shoe fits.

JKL33 · Apr 19, 2019

This *exact* angry-sarcastic disdain for nurses as a group can be observed IRL on any run-of-the-mill day.

What business people want is to have their cake and eat it, too.

Kudos to the senators whose comments were along the line, "Hospitals can find a way to make this work...." [Remember, the topic is simply getting a meal break, not a new salary of $500k/yr. or something ridiculous. MEAL.BREAK.]

Given that hospital execs feel strongly (and angrily, sarcastically, and disdainfully) that everyone else can "find a way" to make every ridiculous thing under the sun "work" - well, the comments about them finding a way to "make it work" so that workers can have a food break: Priceless. ?

HomeBound · Apr 20, 2019

Hmmmm. What an a$$backwards way to make a point.

That being said however---I read a study that I am just too lazy to find right now, that showed that hospitals that offer a choice of 8, 10 or 12 hour shifts for fulltime and part time nurses--had a happier, more satisfied staff and lower turnover.

I don't like not being given the choice. That's my beef. As I got older, I started being "okay" with a 4 10's schedule or a 5 8's schedule---but alas....it was just a big 'ol NO from pretty much any hospital I looked at.

So that means ambulatory care or primary care or urgent care---for far less money.

It's also just lazy management. When I worked for a huge ER where there were probably....9-10 different start times for nurses (childcare, dual income couples, school commitments, etc)---everyone was sort of okay---and they also had "princess shifts" available when no one could cover (something I find insulting and obnoxious--if I come in, to help YOU, and you insult me by calling me "princess" for wanting to not burn myself out with 5 12s in a week? You can pound sand. I won't come in at all. There's always some other place looking for a reliable PRN person to cover.).

Then comes in this propeller head "director" who was a nurse for oh.....5 minutes....and with his MBA and a wife who was well established in this hospital system...became my boss.

He dictated that he was doing away with all other shifts than 7a-7p or 7p-7a. No more "bowing" to the nursing staff and their petty needs.

Result?

70% staff loss within three months. Most of the senior staff left for other hospitals or outlying facilities that we owned. More junior staff simply left and went traveling or to other hospitals since they didn't have a lot of time in. Some transferred to other units--GI and ICU/step down mostly.

Did he learn? Nope. It was one of the only units that didn't have rotating shifts, either. He did away with that. They also offered up front credentialing help ACLS/PALS/TNCC/CEN---did away with that and now required anyone who starts to have those credentials up front so he didn't have any cost.

It's a h#llhole now. Mostly travelers and even those nurses do their 13 and never return. The core staff is simply doing their time until they either graduate NP or PA or whatever else---to get away from bedside nursing forever.

The shifts are not the problem. It's the decision makers who don't listen to the needs of the staff. We're tired because we don't have resources. But I also agree that the CHOICE should be given to nurses whether they wish to work 5 8s or 3 12s.

Telling me what I have to do without any choices whatsoever---adds to the burden. The psychology of it, where you are treated as a beast of burden, adds to the fatigue and dissatisfaction.

There is a PLETHORA of studies that show 12 hour shifts not only adds to burnout, but also increases patient dissatisfaction--because it's never "just 12 hours".

I don't like the way she said these things---and I disagree with a ban on 12s because it's the same as banning 8s and 10s like hospitals do already.

Give nurses a choice. If that means that some lazy good for not much RN Mgr has to put a little more thought and time into scheduling and covering--well---then I am all for it. They don't do much else other than kiss upper admin's a$$es so they can get their yearly bonuses....make them actually work for it.

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · Apr 20, 2019

I know the chief nursing officer and CEO at my hospital do not like 12 hour shifts and if they had their way they would take them away, however, they are smart enough to realize if they did this they would have no nurses working the floor.

WestCoastSunRN, MSN, CNS · Apr 21, 2019

The way to ensure breaks is to staff up. Every unit should have a minimum of one "break" nurse or whatever you want to call it -- this person could have several duties per some pre-determined number of nurses. It's not rocket science and the wheel (getting rid of 2 hour shifts) doesn't need to be reinvented. Extra bodies cost money. This is not new information and there are still not any better ways to solve it. It is what it is. Hire the nurses.

2BS Nurse, BSN · Apr 22, 2019

@Homebound above... many urgent cares require 12 hour shifts (ours can turn into 13 or 14 hours too). Yes, going to ambulatory/UC you make much less $ and no time-and-a-half on holidays.

Personally, I am exhausted after 12s (let's face it, they are never just 12s) and prefer 8s. I have a lot more energy on my two days off!