What do you think of 12 hour shifts?

wgempel · Aug 10, 2013

12 hour shifts are one of the reasons I got into this field. I am currently an AUA and I work Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 7pm-7am. This is the greatest schedule ever, and I get a little overtime ever week. It's also the least hours per week I have worked in 10 years. If they took away 12 hour shifts, I would be pressured to leave the field. Also I am in an ASN program, it gets a little hard during the semester. Still 16 hour shifts Monday through Saturday was the norm during the industrial revolution until labor laws were put in place. Previous positions I have held 8 hour shifts in an industrial setting required 12 days on 2 off as a permenant schedule. A salaried position requiring 10 hour days 6 times a week plus 24/7 pager. Oilfield positions around here are all 7 days in a row 12-16 hours on then 7 days off. Maybe I am just used to working a lot, but 3-12s sounds like part time to me.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Aug 10, 2013

We no longer offer 12 hour shifts. If there's a call out, it much easier to fill an 8 than a 12.

soulshine101 · Aug 10, 2013

I have been doing them for my clinicals right now in nursing school and it never is just 12 hours. I stay at least 13 hours before I go and I never feel right counting it towards clinical time. I was on L&D this time around and it was my first clinical ever, I can't imagine just leaving at 8 hours because its always busy. I prefer to just got the allotted hours over with instead of dragging it out over 8 hour shifts. I think once I am done with school I will probably try for all 12's!

Michaela88 · Aug 10, 2013

i do love my 12 hr shifts but what bothers me is that we don't have a regular schedule. sometimes i work up to 60 hrs/week on five days a week (including weekends and nights) and sometimes only 12.

KenH · Aug 14, 2013

12 hr shifts, I love them , others hate them don't care, don't want to work 12's then don't, want to work 8's then do it.

jrbl77, RN · Aug 14, 2013

I just had this discussion with a co worker recently. I have worked 12 hrs for the past 5 yrs. I like having the extra time off, but try to never do more than 2 in a row. However, we were talking about the continutity of care that the pts use to recieve when we did 8 hrs. If you were full time, you had the same team, basically, for 2 weeks. You could tell the day to day changes in the pt. Granted, pts were staying in the hospital longer then. I work in a rehab setting, where pts are often with us for weeks up to months. As a part time RN, I may see a pt now, but not again for a week. Not always getting a great report, it is hard to determine how well or how poorly the pt is progressing. I don't think most hospitals will go back to 8 hr shifts as they are terrible to staff. Just a few thoughts from a older nurse.

Kdext_rn · Aug 14, 2013

I would think 12 hour shifts were preferred since you would have 4 days off

We don't get 4 days off at the hospital where I work. We actually work a 3/2 split. I think if I didn't have so far to drive when I get off then 12 hour shifts would be okay. But I have to drive 30 miles to get home and though it may not sound like much, when you've had one of those crazy nights, then sometimes it's hard to stay awake driving home. I keep a blanket in the car in case I'm too tired and need to take a catnap before driving home.

SA2009 · Aug 14, 2013

I think 12-hour shifts are dangerous unless you have an adequate break to relax your mind and body; having said that, I used to work them and also loved when you get more time off in a row.

Have you considered, however, that for hospitals 12-hour shifts are great, reducing the work force (and overhead cost) by 1 nurse per day. If the support and breaks were there, 12-hour shifts would be great, but the savings that go to the hospital should carry over to the nurses doing those extra hours a day as, in the end, their health and licenses are on the line.

rnfostermom, BSN, RN · Aug 14, 2013

I have mixed feelings. After working 8s for a few years and 12s for the last few, I am now beginning to prefer 8s. It's true that you get more days off w/12s. However, on balance my life ran more smoothly when I worked 8s, even when I was working straight nights. When I'm working a stretch of 12s, I can't manage to do ANYTHING but work/eat/sleep. Maybe it's my age (I'm 46), but those 12s are hard on my body and my family life. And working 3 in a row is killer -- and lately on holiday weekends they are always asking us to do 4 in a row! I just don't have anything left by the time I'm done with my 3-12s, whereas when I worked 8s, I could be with my family or running errands and still have enough time to get 6-8hrs of sleep and function well at work. I don't feel I'm less safe working 12s. I am fine when I'm at work. It's the toll these long shifts take on my personal life and my body that are beginning to convince me that 8s are better, for me at least.

billyboblewis · Aug 14, 2013

I would much rather work 8 hour shifts but there are very few around any more. I was working 7 12 hour shifts every 2 weeks but management lowered it to six because of the over time..4 hours what a joke

nurselindah, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2013

I don't think most of us are lucky enough to get four days off in a row after working three 12's. It takes me a whole day of nothing to recover from a 12 shift, regardless if I have worked one or three in a row. So, I would much rather work less hours per day, have some sanity after my shift, and not feel like a semi ran over me every day. 12 hour shifts are dangerous-the chance of an error doubles near the end of the shift. I don't want to lose my license because I am overworked and hypoglycemic, having only taken one 1/2 hour break 9 hours before my shift ends. I hate them but have no choice-can't pick and choose MY hours. As for continuity of care? Ridiculous! An employers lame excuse for cutting costs.

lindseylpn · Aug 15, 2013

I love my 12s. All i do on my work days is sleep and work but, I live having 3-4 days off in a row.