What do you think of 12 hour shifts

Nurses General Nursing

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So many people are envious of nurses working 12 hours shifts and having 3 to 4 days off but I truly dislike this shift. I work nights and often only get 1 or 2 days off in a row. That often results in me sleeping through the first day and running around completing errands on my second day. I have no balance in my life and feel like the job is consuming me. Previously to becoming a nurse, I worked 8 hour shifts and found I had a more balance life: work, family, friends. Does anyone else feel the same way about 12 hour shifts? What are your opinions on 12 hour shifts?

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I hated 12s with a pink and purple passion. I did OK for the first 8 or 9 hours, but then I'd hit a wall at around 10 hours and barely make it through the rest of the shift. I felt really unsafe and I always breathed a sigh of relief when the shift was over. I did much better with 8s, even if I did have to work more nights of the week. Luckily my hospital was still flexible about schedules back then and they let me go to 11P-7A shifts. Best move I ever made.

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I absolutely hated working nights, even if it wasn't nursing. I couldn't flip-flop my sleep schedule around to enjoy my time off during daylight hours so I just stayed nocturnal.

This was back in 2000, so as you can imagine the electronic options of entertainment were, well, nonexistent compared to today. I got to see the really creepy side of WalMart (the only store open at 3am). I had to walk around in the dark quietly because everyone else at home had normal daytime jobs. It was the night (or early morning) that I found myself staring at the TV watching debt collection commercials and switching the channel only to find myself watching BLUES CLUES of all things to pass the time at 4am....I needed to get a dayshift job quick, and put in for the switch that day.

Sometimes the chaos of days is worth it, even with the decrease in pay, but 12 hours either way drives me bananas...just minus BLUES CLUES now.

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I personally like 12 hour shifts. 12 hour night shifts present a different challenge. We used to call that first day off a "fake day off" as you basically slept through the whole day. The trick of working nights (I think) is to lump all your work days together so you are not constantly rearranging your sleep cycle as that makes it fell like you have no days off at all

This really would be the perfect solution and my current job allows you to self schedule. I often place my schedule so that I am able to lump my days off together but I never get the schedule I ask for. When I approached my boss about this, I was told he had to make changes based on the needs of the unit. However, I've noticed my other co-workers seem to get the schedule they ask for.

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Stacking shifts is key, like working a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, having off Sunday night, then a Monday, Tuesday and either Wednesday or Thursday (if you can tolerate working 3 in a row). It's tough but it will allow you to be a functional human on your days off. I feel your pain though. I'm trying to transition to days to improve my mental and physical health. You could try talking to your manager or scheduler too and give them your preferences on how you want to be scheduled. Hope everything works out!

Unfortunately, I have tried to stack my days together but my manager won't allow it, claiming he needs to change my schedule based on "the needs of the unit."

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Can I ask why you have to plate out all the food in advance???

Because my husband is Italian raised and before me his mom did everything.

When my daughter was a newborn I tried to instruct him how to literally boil water so that I could make pasta when she and I got home. It did not go well. After 5 minutes I gave up.

I went back to work when she was two. I worked odd hours in home health and was gone at five am and back a 5 pm. The only real meal she ate was dinner that I was home to cook. Starbucks cake pop for breakfast, Panera pastry for lunch, and snack food throughout the day.

I even tried precooking in containers. Too many containers caused confusion I guess because I came home at 9 pm to a sugar crazed hungry little human once I worked in a facility again.

Preplating is the only thing that ensures that they eat right and I come home to sanity after an insane day.

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Unfortunately, I have tried to stack my days together but my manager won't allow it, claiming he needs to change my schedule based on "the needs of the unit."

I loved this excuse. That's when I switched my status to PRN and my schedule was based around my needs. Use me or not, there's an agency looking for a per diem shift that day down the street.

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I feel the same way for a few reasons. First of all, if it's a rough shift, it's 12 hours of a rough shift. That is a LONG time to be there when it isn't going well or when you get mean patients or when you're short staffed.

Also being back at work every 2-3 days does horrible things for my sleep cycle. If I want to go actually see my friends, it messes up my cycle. This leads to perpetually feeling tired all day every day.

My next job will be day shift for sure, and 8 hour shifts if I can find it.

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12hrs are great when the nights or days are in a row. If you're doing every other day, it's like you're on the job all week. Not fun.

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If the problem is you're not getting enough nights off, I'm not sure why it would help to work 8's instead and get even fewer nights off.

Because you would still have your night. If I get off after 8 hours on a day shift, I would get off somewhere between 3-5, leaving the whole night open to enjoy. When you work 12s, it eats up your entire day.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Because you would still have your night. If I get off after 8 hours on a day shift, I would get off somewhere between 3-5, leaving the whole night open to enjoy. When you work 12s, it eats up your entire day.

I agree that when working days, 8's is preferable, but when working nights it's more about the number of nights you have to work, rather than how long the shift is.

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Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.

I prefer working 12's... especially when I roll 6-on, 8-off, 6-on...

Working NOC is tough if your shifts are split; consecutive shifts are much easier to flip-flop.

8-hr shifts kind of suck because you get fewer blocks of time off.

I did once have 64-hr, 2-week rotation that was 2-on, 1-off, 6-on, 5-off so that wasn't so bad but I really like being able to block my days on and my days off and get 4 days off per week... 3 days for work, 1 day for personal business, and 3 days for R&R.

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I love working 12-hr shifts. Who wants to go to work every day?? Not me. And I do them all in a row.

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