Who else love's their 12's?!

[jnfRN]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am so thankful that as nurses we have the option to work three 12's. I'm definitely not cut out for working 5 days a week!!

Anyway, the point of this post is to ask all of you what you like to do on your days off....hobbies, clubs, activities. There are so many options!

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I like only working 3 days a week, being there less often seems to make the stress and noise easier to handle when I'm there. Don't have to get caught up in hospital politics and cliques! Only downside is we get screwed with the every other weekend and holidays!

I'm thinking of going back to 8 hr nocs over that but want to get some bills paid off first. I would only do 32 hrs, 40 hours is just too much. Almost everyone works 36/32 hours or less where I work. Also if you work less than 32 your insurance premiums are doubled!

If they would only fix the holiday situation and only have to work 1 weekend a month I would be in heaven!

[nursemichelle80, BSN, RN]

Personally, I don't like working 12's. One would think that if I only work three days a week I would have more time to do other things. That's just not true. My 12 hour days are totally shot...meaning all I do is work, come home, and go to sleep. If I worked 8 hour shifts, I would be able to do something after work.

Plus, on my days off I am so tired I can hardly function.

Also, when I have to work overtime it usually ends up being 13, 14, or 15 hours.

Personally, I don't think the human body is designed to work for 12 hours straight. Not mine anyway. But, I have a good paying job, so I put up with the 12 hour shifts.

I'm torn...I loved working 12's because I had time to go out of town if I wanted. I work 8's now and like it because I still have a good part of the day open when I get off. :)

[Poi Dog]

I don't like 12s because my days off were spent recovering from them and I had no life.

[tokidoki7, ASN, RN]

I work two 12s and two 8s and it pretty much sucks. I don't have much of a life due to an extra day of commuting and standing all day on my feet. It's like I'm working everyday! Two days off isn't enough time to recuperate before going back to work. I miss having three 12s because I would arrange my schedule so I could have 8 days off in a row.

[beckster_01, BSN, RN]

I love my 12's! When I first started I did 2 12's and 2 8's. My floor is so hectic that at the time most of my 8's turned into 10's rather quickly. 8 hours just is not enough time to deal with the discharges, admissions, and paperwork, so I jumped on the 36 hour schedule as soon as I came off orientation. After a year I am much better at getting out by 4 at least if I pick up an 8, but in general I find it easier to manage my time during a 12hr shift. Plus I routinely get 5-6 days off in a row, so it is like going on vacation once or twice a week. I can not imagine only having 2 days off a week, I would never get anything done! Generally I take one day to relax, and manage to use the rest of my days off to catch up on cleaning, run errands, and have at least a little bit of a social life.

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

I work in a SNF and my 8hr would turn into 10hr and 12hr shifts with all the paperwork 5 days a week was too much, another facility within my company went to 12 hour shifts so I quickly transfered now my schedule is 2 on 3 off roatating schedule, they also have less patients went from 30 to 1 to 22 to 1 so now I am getting off closer to on time.

Which works out well for me because I was hired to work PRN/regisitry for a pediatric LTC within a large hospital system.

So now that I get more days off, I will be available to pick up shifts with the new job and hopefully I can get hired on full time with the pediatic job

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i've been working 12s for more than a quarter century and i still love them! i'd never go back to 8s.

[Aurora77]

We were just talking about this the other night at work. I'm a new grad and wasn't sure how I'd like working 12s. I absolutely love it. 4 days off a week is fabulous. Sure, the first day I'm tired and don't do much after working 3 days straight, but there's still other days in the week to get things done. I can't imagine working 5 days a week, that just seems like so much.

[Her Own Catalyst RN]

I recently switched from three 12's as a floor RN to 5 8's as a clinical analyst RN (desk job). Both have their perks. I worked nights on my 12's so I often felt like 6 days were shot a week (the day of work and the day after). I always thought I was a night person!

Now I enjoy getting home by 4:30 every day and spending the evening with my dogs, husband and enjoying the joys of being pregnant, lol.

I did 12's on day shift for one month before I got offered this new position, and I loved that, felt like I was off more than I wasn't - the downside is those 3 days are shot, it's like you live in a bubble and lose out on life.

I could go into the floor nursing vs desk job nursing but that's another post :)

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

I would LOVE to do 12's. My old job just started them, wish I would of stayed...

[prettyinblu]

At first I loved 12's because it allows me to attend school and not worry about scheduling. However when I finish school and get RN experience under my belt....... I will be switching to 8hrs. When I am off the first day is spent relaxing/cleaning then spending time with family and reading. Our hospital used to have 4,8,12 hr shifts which WAS good because when I was off from school I would pick up smaller shifts.

[optimist]

I LOVE MY (WEEKEND) 12s!!! I work 24 on weekend days, get paid for 32. Monday-Friday I get to be a stay-at-home-mommy, cook nice dinners for my family, visit my grandparents, take kiddies to the park, go shopping. Plus I save a ton on childcare because I work the opposite of everyone else, little one can stay with Dad or Grandparents or other family while I work! Works out great for everyone, I dont think Ill ever have a full-time job again (at least not while Ive got little ones)