What is a 24h shift like?

caliotter3 · Apr 5, 2017

There is probably a sleep break in there somewhere as it is against labor laws in most, if not all, states to work around the clock.

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Apr 5, 2017

Can you give a context of what are referring to?

Is it a job posting such as "Part-time 24hrs/wk"? Which means two 12 hr shifts/wk.

Transport teams may have 24 hr shifts (similar to fire dept and EMS) in which they sleep until they are called with a transport, transport the patient, sleep until the next transport. They work 24 hrs on/ 48 hrs off). I have never heard of a staff nurse having a 24 hr shift (in the US).

Skippy97 · Apr 5, 2017

I just want to know how the shift works. Have heard people say nurses can do a 24 hour shift, but I don't understand what they mean because I thought that was ilegal. I just wanted to know how it is structured, like do you acctually stay there 24 hours

ohiobobcat · Apr 5, 2017

I have never heard of a 24 hour shift for nursing.

I have heard of 24 hour shifts for EMS/Fire/Rescue. Like another post above said, they are not directly involved in patient care unless they are on a call, so they can sleep between calls.

I have heard of nurses being mandated to stay over, but I think the max a nurse can work is 16 hours straight (?-- I could be wrong on that, and does it vary by state?).

Skippy97 · Apr 5, 2017

Okay maybe I misunderstood haha, I did get pretty confused! thank you for the info...

LovingLife123 · Apr 5, 2017

I have never heard of a nurse working 24 hours. You can be mandated a few extra hours in say a disaster or weather emergency, but we do not work 24 hours. That is not safe for patient care.

CFrancine, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2017

Go to the dialysis board and ask. I guarantee you'll find nurses that have worked 24 hours. I personally haven't but I work with nurses that have. There is no sleeping break.

Editorial Team / Admin · Apr 5, 2017

I've once worked 26 hours straight, 8 hours for my scheduled shift and the rest on call where I worked the entire call shift as well. I can't see any nurse being scheduled for a 24 hour shift unless it's a scenario like flight or transport nursing, where they can sleep when not involved in patient care. I bet if you clarify you'll find the shift you're asking about is either 24 hours per week or involves being on call, not actually working.

soklimnph · Jul 27, 2017

Yes, It was happened for my nurses in my country, Cambodia, and still be existing until now in some hospital both government & private sectors. because of nurse shortage, we applied the model of "Round-the-clock". Nurse must stay in hospital for 25hs (1h for changing shift report) on the day of their duty every 4 days. However, you are right, they can take a short break to sleep if their patients are in stable condition. After 24hs, they have taken 1 day off and continue their working day as routinely. Their working day is 4h per day, and for duty day is 24hs. The duty day is every 4 days.

But currently, there are some changing in some hospitals. They develop 2 shifts/day, 8hs for day shifht & 16 hs for night shift, because based on the safety in transportation, they can not work as 12h for day shift, and 12hs for night sift. I think it might surprising you, but it is real situation of my nurses here.

cardiacfreak, ADN · Jul 27, 2017

Is it an on-call nurse? I am on-call from Friday 1700 - Monday 0900. I do have a back up nurse I can call if I need.

HeySis, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2017

I have worked a 24 hour shift on occasion, overtime it involved being on call. We take call during the week from 7pm to 7am, if you were already scheduled to work 7am-7pm and then there ended up being emergency cases it's possible to be there the 24 hours... even longer if you were due back for a regular shift the next day. (when call the night before is bad, that person is the first one out the day after call, once an OR closes).

Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays we work a 24 hour call shift and I had one Saturday that I was called at 6:30 to be there by 7am and worked until my relief got there at 7:45am on Sunday. I slept almost all day Sunday, and didn't feel recoop'd until Tuesday. It happens very rarely..usually on even busy calls there is at least a little time to nap and we have an on call room to catch a few zzzz's.

Call also seems to cycle.... for weeks its pretty quiet and then bam... call is horrible for awhile. Or it may seem that a certain person has the little black rain cloud over their head and overtime they are on call it gets busy. But we do call only once a week, so it's normally manageable.