Why can't we have 12 hour shifts and 8 hours shifts?

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Is it really so hard for hospitals to let the young nurses that want to do those 12 hour shifts have their fun with them and us older nurses who did them for years have a little of both. So many nurses are retiring from nursing early. I say let us have our cake and eat it too!!! 3 "8" hour shifts and 1 "12" or 2 "12's" and an "8". Why are we still treated like factory workers with no education? After 25 years as a nurse, I love bedside hospital nursing but it's not that less of a benefit package to work 24 hours a week in which I could still work 3 days but only 8 hours without being left dehydrated, fatigued, and mentally exhausted!! I'm not ready to go to the SNF yet to do 8 hours. Diversity should not still be in question with nursing hours....there aren't enough of us experienced nurses to be that "picky".

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Hospice/Palliative Care.

It is a pain to staff -- I can tell you that because your options are limited if there is a call off or change in the schedule (people have to offset others). If you have a large staff, it would work but if it's small and no float pool -- I totally get it. It just isn't ideal.

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I'll be starting my first nursing position soon working two 8's and two 12's a week. Rotating days and nights every two weeks.

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.
I'll be starting my first nursing position soon working two 8's and two 12's a week. Rotating days and nights every two weeks.

Rotate every two weeks? That's kind of rough. Rotating every 6 weeks is better I think, which is what some other hospitals do.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I am in a large metropolitan area of 7 million people. Hospital systems in this area staff with 12-hour shifts because keeping the 3:00pm to 11:00pm evening swing shift fully staffed has been an insurmountable challenge in the past.

8-hour day shift (7 to 3:30pm) is coveted and nurses line up to work during daylight hours. 8-hour night shift (11 to 7:30am) also has a sizable following of nurses who prefer nights. However, until something is done about the staffing issues that arise when 3 to 11:30pm shifts go unfilled, I foresee hospitals in my area continuing to utilize 12 hour shifts.

Personally, I would never want to work five 8-hour shifts per week at the bedside. I've done it before and will not do it again unless homelessness is on the horizon.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Can you define "young"? I am 44 and far far FAR prefer 12 hour shifts.

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Rotate every two weeks? That's kind of rough. Rotating every 6 weeks is better I think, which is what some other hospitals do.

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At my facility, we rotate by the day. Most of us end up working both days and nights in the same week for at least half the weeks on the schedule!

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Many of the nursing homes in my area are transitioning to 12 hour shifts. I think that it is going to become more and more common, for many places, and not just hospitals. I personally like the 12 hour shifts, and having more days off a week. I am 45.

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Specializes in hospice.

Turning 40 next week and I too prefer 12s.

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Specializes in Hospice & Palliative Care, Oncology, M/S.

I'm 40 and love 12 hour shifts.

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I'm not ready to go to the SNF yet to do 8 hours.

I don't think you meant any offense, but 8 hours in SNF are pretty exhausting. It's not a cakewalk job.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

We have a combo right now, but are transitioning to 12's.

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