What do you think of 12 hour shifts

[RNattie]

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?

[AlwaysLearning247, BSN]

I enjoy 12 hour shifts because my work is flexible when making out the schedule. They for the most part let us self schedule. I usually do 2 on, 3 off, etc. When I have a busy day/demanding patient assignment I miss my 8 hour shifts, but then I don't miss being in the same assignment multiple days in a row. I rarely do 3 days in a row now, k can't complain!

[Uniquern]

I worked nights for 8 years. I was able to make my schedule work and sleep later in the day or earlier in the day depending on my chores to make it work. I do not feel that an 8 hour shift at night would give you that big of a difference in the time you have in your home life. Sounds like you dislike the night shift.

[tynil]

Enjoy working 12 hour shifts because you get 4 days off to rest and recuperate. You do work really hard during those 12 hour shift though and they can be exhausting. But I enjoy working hard and then knowing I have rest of the days off.

[alexalex77]

I hate them

[RNperdiem, RN]

Having actually worked 8 hour shifts, I much prefer the 12s. I work days and there is a usually a bit of a slowdown in the pace from 3-6pm. This is where I can catch up with charting, if I am behind. This block is where the more minor but necessary tasks like line changes are done.

When I worked 7-3 days, I left work late every day.

3-11 was worse. "Free time" before you have to work does not really feel that free when you are constantly checking the time and counting down until it is time to leave for work.

[NurseyMcNurserson]

I love 12 hour shifts, especially when you're getting/giving report to the same nurses. I think it's great for the patients and continuity of care to only see 2 nurses per 24 hour period. More time to focus on the patient and their progress.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I work 12's and I'll never willingly go back to 8's. But then I work in a SNF with block scheduling so I never have to worry about rotating shifts or changing schedules. I am on the am to pm half of the day and my other half prefers pm to nocs so it works great for us. It's wonderful for continuity of care. On our scheduled days there is only the 2 of us so chances of things being missed are much less, there's no shift in between for information to be missed during report. The only time we work 3 in a row is our Fri-Sat-Sun weekend, but then we also have a Fri-Sat-Sun weekend off. Then we have a two day stretch the next Wed-Thu and one random Monday in there after our weekend off. The one Monday is nicer than it seems like it would be as taking PTO on that day gives us a week off.

[bagladyrn, RN]

I work 12 hr. nights and if 8 hr shifts were all that was available I'd retire.

As a travel nurse I'd see no point in going to a new area if I didn't have the extra days off to enjoy sightseeing.

[Corie_Auntie]

12's when I was single were great. 12's married became a challenge. 12's with a family stink.

Childcare takes an act of congress. The day before I spend cooking for however many shifts I have to work in a row in advance. Plate out all the food. Pack all the lunches (I live 1 hour away). I also need to do all the food shopping.

Then there's the laundry and the cleaning. Gymnastics lessons. Homework. Working out can only be done on days off and if I don't I'm sore and go from slim to sloppy looking easily. Then I'm a zombie because I chose the gym over sleep.

This sounds like me when I worked 12's at night. The only saving grace was that at the time, my mother lived within walking distance and picked up my 2 yr. old while my husband was leaving for work.

I lived an hour away and I was so burnt out. That job lasted only one year.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

My first job was 3.5 hours from home; the only saving grace was that I worked 3 consecutive 12's so I could still be home and functional for 3 days per week. Working 8's would have been extraordinarily difficult.

[Coloradonurse1983]

As night shift, if I had 8hr shifts, I wouldn't like my job. My husband works days. When I work, I don't see him for days. If I worked 8s, I'd see him once a week. No thanks.

[sjenkinsrn]

I also felt the same way as you when I worked full-time nights. I went to work in the PACU for many years due to the fact that they work 8 hours, 10 hours, or 12 hour shifts. I found that this was a much better choice for me and the wear and tear on my body. 12 hour shifts are also more difficult as we age.