Why Can't Hospitals Offer Shifts Other Than 12 hr. 7 to 7?

Retired R.N. · May 7, 2006

I am a single parent wanting to be home with my kids at a decent hour every day. I have been working 7p to 7a for the last 5 years. I am tired of it. Why do most hospitals only offer these horrendous 12 hour shifts?.. These hours are hard on families. I would love to be able to work 8 to 4 in a hospital. Why isn't that an option? Hospitals could offer 8am-4pm...then 4pm-12am and 12am-8am and maybe the nursing shortage wouldn't be so bad....

There is no shortage of nurses. There is merely a shortage of nurses who are willing to work the available jobs.

Hospitals use the 12-hour shifts as a financial tool that allows them to cut their payroll taxes by having fewer nurses on the payroll, and to eliminate the older (higher paid) nurses who can no longer keep up with the physical demands of those 12-hour shifts without having any complaints or lawsuits about age discrimination.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · May 7, 2006

There is no shortage of nurses. There is merely a shortage of nurses who are willing to work the available jobs.
Hospitals use the 12-hour shifts as a financial tool that allows them to cut their payroll taxes by having fewer nurses on the payroll, and to eliminate the older (higher paid) nurses who can no longer keep up with the physical demands of those 12-hour shifts without having any complaints or lawsuits about age discrimination.

The FTEs are the same for 12 vs. 8 hour shifts. You have to have the same number of nurses for either strategy.

The benefit comes in reducing 'shift change' overlap and the administration of having to plan and implement 2 shifts/day instead of 3. But the REAL reason for the change is that more nurses want 12 hrs than 8; it increases recruitment.

As far as it being 'age discrimination'; I doubt that. I just don't see that much difference between 'keeping up' with 12s for 3 days versus 8s for 5 days. Somebody that can no longer 'keep up' on 12s isn't going to keep up much longer working more 8s. Especially since there are other jobs in a hospital and those jobs tend to be rewarded to more sr nurses that want them, i.e. case management, education, etc.

~faith,

Timothy.

nursemary9, BSN, RN · May 7, 2006

Hi

I have not read all the posts in this thread, yet. However, I'll tell you at my Hospital, it's kind of up to each unit. The ICU's, by choice have 12 hr shifts & they love them. Some of the floors have only 8 hr shifts because that's what the majority of their nurses want. My unit & a couple of others do both. I, personally, do 8 hr shifts--that's b/c after bilateral hip replacements, that's all I can do; On our unit, as long as you find a partner for 12 hrs, you can do it. Before arthritis & old age problems set in, I kind of liked 12 hrs b/c of the extra nite off--I'm a nite person myself.

Mary Ann

momedsurglpn · May 7, 2006

Twelve hour shifts are great when your in your 20's, 30's and maybe even your 40's if your lucky, but 50's and 60's----gets alittle tricky!!! When I was in my 20's and 30's I could work 5-12 hour shifts in a row with NO problems, now I'm getting close to 50 and I'm in excellent health and believe me, IT DOES GET HARDER!!!! Three in a row kills me... Our hospital only offers 12 hour shifts, period. Does anyone feel we really are not showing respect to our older nurses? Think about yourself for a minute. You may be fine now, but what about when you get older? We expect the 60 year old nurse to act like the 20 year old nurse? Just aint gonna happen! And if you've worked somewhere for 20 or 30 years you don't want to leave so what about it? I would welcome 8 hr. shifts at this point in my career, but don't have a choice!

Nemhain · May 7, 2006

Also, the floor i used to work on offered 7-7,11-11, and 3-3 shifts as alternative 12 hours shifts.

I actually love 12 hour shifts, but I hate the 7-7 variety. I wish more hospitals would have more choices for the 12 hour shifts. I would love to work any type of 11-11 or 3-3 shift.

I think the 7pm - 7am nurses really get shafted when it comes to family and constantly trying to readjust to staying awake during the day to spend time with family.

Karen · May 8, 2006

12 hour shifts are too long for me but like many mentioned most hospitals only have 12 hour shifts. As nurses continue to age I don't know how they will sustain 12 hour shifts. Physically and mentally they are brutal. When there is adequate staffing its not so bad but there are many days when I feel like I am running a marathon only there are no volunteers holding cups of gatorade for me to grab when I run by. Once I worked in ICU at MCV Hospital in Richmond Va(many many years ago) and they had a great compromise--everyone worked two 12's a week and two 8's, Tues, Thur, Sat, & Sun were 12 hour days and Monday, Wed, and Fri. were eight hour days. You ended up with 3 days off per week and not so exhausted--boy an 8 hour day monday after working the weekend was like nothing. Kind of the best of both.

BBQvegan · May 8, 2006

One of the many reasons I am going into nursing school is for the 12 hour shifts and time off in between!

rebeccainlv · May 8, 2006

I currently work 8 hour shifts and HATE it. I work at a VA hospital as a nurse resident and will hopefully get hired when I graduate with my BSN in 18 days.

I love working for the VA, love the hospital, love the patients, love the manager and co-workers...but hate the 8 hour shifts. I usually work 10 hours anyway, so why not stay for 12? There is not enough time in an 8 hour shift to do everything that needs to be done. I usually end up staying extra time to do charting or other paperwork that didn't get done. The way that gas prices are, it costs me $6 per day to drive the 40 miles round trip to work. Yes, I have a hospital less than one mile away, but they can't compare benefits to the VA.

The 12 hour shift topic is currently in the works. They will have 6 12 hour shifts and 1 8 hour shift per pay period so they will have to offer both 12 and 8 hour shifts to cover everyone.

I hope that enough of the nurses speak up for the 12 hour shifts. They want it, but they won't tell the people that can make it happen. I am crossing my fingers that it passes by the time I start in August.

kids · May 8, 2006

Hospitals use the 12-hour shifts as a financial tool that allows them to cut their payroll taxes by having fewer nurses on the payroll

I disagree. If you do the math over a month (rather than a week) it takes fewer bodies to fill 8 hour shifts than it does 12s.

I worked on a sub acute unit that went to 12 hour shifts in desperation. We had a full time swing shift opening that no one wanted but both the day & night shift nurses were willing to split the shift and work 12s.

Within the first 90 days there was a reduction in med errors, falls, skin breakdown and infections and patient/family satisfaction surveys improved. From a staffing and morale standpoint we had fewer call outs and staff from other parts of the facility started requesting transfers on to the unit.

not now, RN · May 8, 2006

Twelve hour shifts are great when your in your 20's, 30's and maybe even your 40's if your lucky, but 50's and 60's----gets alittle tricky!!! When I was in my 20's and 30's I could work 5-12 hour shifts in a row with NO problems, now I'm getting close to 50 and I'm in excellent health and believe me, IT DOES GET HARDER!!!! Three in a row kills me... Our hospital only offers 12 hour shifts, period. Does anyone feel we really are not showing respect to our older nurses? Think about yourself for a minute. You may be fine now, but what about when you get older? We expect the 60 year old nurse to act like the 20 year old nurse? Just aint gonna happen! And if you've worked somewhere for 20 or 30 years you don't want to leave so what about it? I would welcome 8 hr. shifts at this point in my career, but don't have a choice!

I'm not so sure about that. I just started a new job. I went from 8 hour shifts to 12 hour night shift. At first I would be dying by around 4:00AM but now I manage just fine. My preceptor is 60-ish (I dare not ask her age) and by quitting time on our third day in a row she's still kicking! It depends on the person more than the age.

As for me, I prefer the 12 hour shifts. When I did 8 hours I felt like I didn't have time to fit everything into the day and I'd only get two days off to rest and catch up on housework. With 12's I have four days a week to do all my running around, cleaning, laundry and lounging.

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 8, 2006

I'm not so sure about that. I just started a new job. I went from 8 hour shifts to 12 hour night shift. At first I would be dying by around 4:00AM but now I manage just fine. My preceptor is 60-ish (I dare not ask her age) and by quitting time on our third day in a row she's still kicking! It depends on the person more than the age.
As for me, I prefer the 12 hour shifts. When I did 8 hours I felt like I didn't have time to fit everything into the day and I'd only get two days off to rest and catch up on housework. With 12's I have four days a week to do all my running around, cleaning, laundry and lounging.

I agree, age ain't nothing but a number. I'll be 47 soon and am still kicking. Although I must confess after nearly 13 years of night shift, the last seven or so of those being 12-hour shifts, my tired old butt was whipped. I think that was more nightshift burnout than the 12-hour shift.

It's obviously apparent that no one shift is good for all. My body physically loved 8-hour 3-11 shifts the best, but it was socially isolating and didn't work well for me. 12 hour day shifts kick the heck out of me, but they fit in best with my current way of living. It allows me time for school.

It is too bad that so many places are now not offering options and flexibliity in shifts. I will say that the unit I work, the one's on 8-hour shifts have been working there for years, and not one new grad in I don't know how many years, has chosen to work 8 hour shifts, they invariably always choose to work 12-hour shifts.

To each his own.

Retired R.N. · May 8, 2006

I disagree. If you do the math over a month (rather than a week) it takes fewer bodies to fill 8 hour shifts than it does 12s.
I worked on a sub acute unit that went to 12 hour shifts in desperation. We had a full time swing shift opening that no one wanted but both the day & night shift nurses were willing to split the shift and work 12s.
Within the first 90 days there was a reduction in med errors, falls, skin breakdown and infections and patient/family satisfaction surveys improved. From a staffing and morale standpoint we had fewer call outs and staff from other parts of the facility started requesting transfers on to the unit.

Do the math over a year, and the nurses who have worked lots of overtime reach the point where neither they nor the employer are deducting Social Security taxes any more.