Note: I'm not trying to downplay a nurses job...I'm just confused. So, don't tear me to shreds. :chuckle
Ok, now that I got that out of the way, what's so stressful about working 3, 12hr shifts? I keep reading how nursing is sooo stressful and you guys are pooped when you get home...but you're only working 3 days out of the week? Yes, I know some of you guys work more than that but, for the most part, I keep reading how you guys have 3, 12hr shifts. That's not even 40hrs/wk. Most people work well over 40hrs/wk so what am I missing?
As a college athlete, working 3, 12hr shifts doesn't seem like it would be exhausting so...please...enlighten me. Lay it on me thick! I'd like to know what I'm in for (if I choose nursing over PA or MD). Examples work best. Thanks!
Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
Disclaimer or no disclaimer there are ways to ask a question and get positive responses, and there are ways to ask a question and get a negative response.
Sure 36 hours a week doesn't seem like much, but you must consider the manner in which those 36 hours are spent. That's 36 hours of constant vigilance for 5, 6,7 or more sick people. That's being pulled in 5,6,7 directions at once. That's having to maintain excellent customer satisfaction or else face a lawsuit(and sometimes face a lawsuit even after doing an exceedingly excellent job). That's going to work every single day with the knowledge that today could be the day that you lose your ability to earn a living if you make a mistake.
How many cooks are sued if they give the wrong food item to a customer? I'm betting none. But, if a nurse gives the wrong medicine to a patient...
How many mechanics get sued if they are unable to revive a car that has been abused for years? Not many, I'm guessing. Look at the same circumstances from a medical POV and tell me what the results are.
Basically, what I(along with all of the other posters) are saying is that you can't judge nursing by the same yardstick you would use for many other jobs. That's like comparing apples to carburetors. Go do a 12 with a nurse and form your own conclusions about nursing. Better yet, go pull 3 12s with a nurse and report back to us.
In procedures usually you get dumped on on a 12 hr shift. left over cases of sick pts without anyone left in house to relieve you on-time. if everyone goes home at six and a few are finishing cases until 8 (12 HR People) it gets a little frustrating . but it is nice to have more time off
You've just taken report on 12 patients (I work subacute) half way during report a family member tells you to take their mother off the toilet as the call light has been on and nobody answers it. You go down the hall to find a CNA already doing it, but that's about two minutes gone.
You finish visual report, do a narc count. You're on the way down the hall to fit in the 30 - 45 minute wound vac dressing on patient A as you know this is the only down time you'll have. Ten minutes into the dressing you have a CNA come in to tell you patient B wants a percocet. You tell them they'll have to wait 20 minutes or so. As you're finishing off the dressing on patient A and going out the door, patient C in the next bed can't find their remote, so you eventually find it somewhere in the blankets. You go to the nurses station to get percocet for patient B, but patient D's family member is waiting for you there already and asking when their family member is seeing the cardiologist. You don't know and have to find out from the chart. You still don't know even after going through the chart, you tell patient D's family member that you'll give them a call after you've found out. Patient D's family member walks away unsatisfied. You finally get to patient B and their percocet 45 minutes after they asked for it and they're in pain and mad. Patient B is unsatisfied. You realize you're 20 minutes late in hanging IV ATB for patient E and when you get there, they're unsatisfied, but before you start you need to take patient E to the bathroom as they say "as you're here anyway". Meanwhile, you haven't even seen patient F yet who is now running a low grade fever as the CNA just reported that to you. You didn't get in report that patient F was unstable but now he is. When you get back to the nurses station to look at patient F's chart, a family member wants to know if you can run some juice up to patient G, because, you know, you're just standing there reading a chart.
It has nothing to do with being physically strong, I am 4'11, 90 pounds, and have been doing this a very looong time. You have to be a strong person all around. Being a mentor and educator to young nurses and nursing students I want to warn you that the kind of attitude that you have expressed here (just my insight-don't flame me as well) has led me to believe that you will struggle in this profession.
Your right, you have no idea what we go through, and you will not learn it in school, or in clinicals, but you are already downplaying how rough it can be, and are acting like we are a bunch of whiny wimps. In my experience these are the types of people who spend all of that time in school, only to leave the profession entirely not long after starting a job. We make very little money, I usually work 70-80 hours a week at my 2 jobs so I can pay for my kids college. I know a lot of PCTs who have worked in hospitals along side the nurse for a long time, they even think that they know what it will be like, and that they could do it without all of the schooling, but after they graduate they soon learn that they can not handle what we do. I
t's a very demanding, extremely stressful job, and I am so glad that none of my children want to do this, I think they see how much it has changed me. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do (certain days), but I know that I am only able to do this because I have a lot of strength, inside and out. Good luck to you, I hope you do well in school, and end up happy in your job, but I am very anxious to see what you are posting on allnurses in 3-5 years. I bet you'll be pretty surprised, you may even be to tired to post something after work.
Please also remember that you are young. You have to add in the fact that a lot of nurses are still in school full time, and have children, and you have to attend many conferences and classes throughout the year. Nursing is really a 24/7 job. I still come home almost everynight from my job in an ER and study about the new things I encountered that day. You really do learn something new EVERYDAY, and technology is changing all of the time.
Your questions are valid, but I think some people are offended by the way you asked them.
Uuummm...I'm assuming you missed the bold disclaimer at the beginning of the thread? I'm going to assume you did. I'm not trying to downplay what nurses do so, chill, relax and get over yourself! I just asked you to explain what goes on during your 12hr shifts that make it so "stressful/demanding - physically and mentally". You taking offense to that is ridiculous. Relax.
But, thanks for the info.
Now, those are some good examples. Excellent post!
I read the post; however, as another person stated there are ways of asking a question to receive a positive or negative response. The fact that you emphasized the nurses day is "sooo stressful" speaks of sarcasm regarding the 36 hour work week. If the question was phrased a little differently, in perhaps a more respectful manner, some of us would not have been as harsh.
Your intentions may have been good; however, when you throw in words such as "sooo" to emphasize a question, we have to assume sarcasm or negativity. It is impossible to interpret language inflection or emphasis of speech, and only have written words to base our opinions. Therefore, it is not unreasonable for someone to look at your question and assume you are in fact downplaying nursing.
Sometimes simply asking a question straight up without out adding "augmented" words to emphasize points is the best way to receive a good answer. Remember, many of us deal with people who come here to intentionally downplay nursing and cause trouble. Without knowing you, we are apt to assume the worst. Therefore, professional to the point articulation of your language is the best way ask without putting people on the defensive.
This has nothing to do with getting over myself. In spite of my "occasional" sarcastic ranting about the sorry shape of modern health care, I am proud of my profession and can be quick to put down people who appear to disrespect what we do.
Specializes in OB, NICU, Nursing Education (academic).
Here's a nurse who liked working three 12 hour shifts! And.....it was on the night shift. Call me crazy...but there are some who thrive on this schedule.
The worst schedule I ever worked was seven 8-hour shifts with 2 days off, then three 8-hour shifts with 2 days off......and that was on day shift.
I'm currently nursing faculty (for the last 15 years). I like my job, but sometime long for the days of not having to bring work home. After my shift as a staff RN, I left my work at work.
i'm not a nurse, i will be entering my nursing program in the spring of '10, and instead of asking what's so stressful about such and such, that to some nurses is an offense and i can see how it can be seems as one, try to shadow a nurse, if it's denied, volunteer at a hospital doing other things and you'll find out how their day comes along, and you'll find out what's so stressful about working 3-12 hr shifts. imho
You said that you were an athlete so you understand what it is like to have an adrenaline rush right? Imagine a job that causes your body to experience this throughout the 12 or more hours that you are there. The body's physiological response to stress something to take into consideration when examining why the job is so exhausting.
I work 6 in a row instead of 3. My shifts are 12 1/2 hours due to lunch break (which I rarely have time for) and I usually say over and chart. I have the lives of expectant mothers, the fetus, post-op c-section patient, infants, and a whole plethora of other medical problems to deal with (ie preterm labor on mag., HELLP syndrome, baby in respiratory distress.....). Assessments must be completed on every patient at the beginning of the shift and mid-shift. Some assessments are q 15 min., 30 min., hourly.
Repositioning a labor patient who is very large and has an epidural can be exhausting and if the baby is showing a non-reassuring heart rate on the monitor I get the privilege of repositioning every few minutes.....
what, the DR. just ordered an emergency c-section....grab the warmer that you use after delivery to place baby on and head off down to the OR room....did I mention that these warmer are very bulky and weight alot.
Obviously there are some loose ends that must be accomplished on the way out the door to the OR....paperwork!!!Report!!!!
Would someone please take care of my patients until I return!!!! Remember to grab everything you will need to perform resusitation on the infant if the need were to arise.
Imagine the adrenaline at this point....now the baby is here and she/he is not breathing...UGH Finally, baby is stable and you are heading to the newborn nursery with her....did I mention that she is in the warmer and you are once again pushing the thing.
About the time you complete the assessment on the infant, Mother is back on the floor so off you go to receive report, assess, attach equipment....etc. You are being paged because you other patient needs help with breastfeeding, you have another patient coming to the floor who is complaining of contractions, and room 14 needs pain medication. All of the sudden another nurse grabs you and you are off to the ER with a delivery tray in hand because a lady is giving birth in admitting.
You finally have the time to look at the clock and you realize that you have 8 more hours to go......UGH and to top it off you get to go home take care of the family for a few hours, sleep for a few hours, and pull 5 more nights like this one.
I love my job, but I have come to realize that my life span will probably be shorter due to the stress that my body experiences at work.
Now, I will stop here and spare you the details about the aggressive behaviors of patients, family members, doctors, administration, nurses, etc. Some work places can feel like you are working in a war zone
ArtisticAthlete
37 Posts
Ok...you guys have given me great insight so yeah, I understand now. Thanks for the info!
And, just a little fyi - KUDOS TO NURSES!!!
I kind of got tired just imagining doing all of that stuff. Haha.