Which do you prefer?

night shift, 12's only. I do 3 on (in a row) and usually have 4-5 days off, sometimes 6 :) And I work in progressive care!

I definitely prefer 12 hour shifts. I usually set up my schedule so I work 3 in a row. How many I have off in a row depends on what else I've got planned. It's definitely doable to have 8 days off which is nice and saves vacation time for the longer trips (like vacations to Thailand or Japan). While every now and then I end up working 6 in a row, and with 12s that really wears you out, the time off more than makes up for it IMO. Oh, and I work in a PICU on a rotating schedule between days and nights and I work weekends when possible.

I have a prn job where I work 12's and a part time job where I work 8s, both night shift. I work in LTC.

Since I'm only prn at the 12h job I dont know how I would feel about working them full time....but for right now I like the 8 hour shifts better. But if full time anywhere, I would probably take the 12s....more time off in between shifts I guess.

12s period.

12 hands down. I was scheduled at 2 days a week with the option to pick up shifts if I wanted. But going off the 2 days on the Master I was scheduled a 6 day and 8 day break within every 6 week rotation, outside of those it was like 3-4 days for the rest of the weeks. You wouldn't even have to use PTO just schedule your breaks around that. I would HATE doing 8's.

New grad here.

Two job options available right now. Both are LTC/Rehab

Job A) Every other weekend (will go to every weekend in dec) two 16's. Yes I said two sixteens...IN A ROW. Total 32 hours

It is a 30-45 min drive to and from as well. No benefits.

Job B) 4 on and 2 off, night shift 8's. Is considered fulltime.

Is literally 5 minutes from my house... a huge bonus for me.

I'm going with Job B as my ideal. Would prefer three 12's but the location is ideal and for my first job I think it will suit me better.

Hmm, cool. I think when I start working I would like to do 12s night shifts in a row. I don't know why night shifts I just think i would like it. And doing 12s in a row, I know I would probably be exhausted but I have alot of stamina and I like the fact of having for days off back to back. I know you may not get your schedule like you want it though. Then again, i might change my mind by the time I graduate. And if landing a job is as hard as they say, I wold probably take whichever one anyways. But that would be ideal.

My favorites were 7p-7a Sat/Sun/Mon.....(med-surg/heavy ortho)

next fav was the Baylor plan (adolescent psych)- Sat/Sun 7p-7a

LEAST favorite - 3-11, I never got to sleep until 4-5 am, then all I had time for was getting up and getting ready for work.

W/nights, I kept the night schedule on my nights off; made any appts at 8 am (or as close as possible).

Could you give me an example of how you get the schedule to work that gives you the 8 days off? How many people work that schedule with you? We have heard of people making this work but I need a sample schedule to show my co-workers.

I work in a NICU and I work 12s. I'm part time somewhat. I work 2 12s one week 3 the next. This works for me, we do self scheduling and at least once every 6 weeks I am off for 8 days. I've not used any PTO since starting this schedule. I prefer 12s because I love the fact that I am off more days that I work. I would go nuts if I only had 2 days off a week.

Love my three eight hour shifts per week!

When I worked in the hospital, I worked 36 hrs/week and I preferred 12 hr shifts because it meant I had to be there fewer days a week. That didn't mean that my boss wouldn't decide to put me on 4 12 hr shifts in a week or 6 in 7 days or 1 12 and 3 8s though. I did enjoy that thereafter I could randomly be off for a week, but it would take a few days to recover from working 72 hrs of nights over the course of 7 days.

Now that I don't work in the hospital anymore, I realize how much 12s were killing me. Yes, you get to be there fewer days a week but on the days that you work, you can't do anything other than work. I'd leave my house before 6 and, if I was lucky, I'd get home around 9 if I worked a day shift.

Now, I work short days (6-8 hrs) in my agency's office doing case management and see patients in their homes. I have time every day to do other things. I saw a patient this morning and am going out in a bit to go hiking with a friend. Could NEVER do that if I had to work a Sunday in the hospital.

To the poster who asked how one could have 8 days off working 12 hr shifts.... week one: you work Sun, Mon, Tues. Week two you work Thurs, Fri, Sat. You are off from Wed week one through Wed week two. I had a colleague in the hospital who worked nights every other weekend Fri-Mon with 8 hr shifts on Fri/Mon and 12s on Sat/Sun. She'd work 40 hrs in a row and then be off for the better part of 2 weeks before she did it again. That was a 20 hr/week position.

12hr or 8hr shifts? Which unit do you work in?