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

[ziplag]

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".

[Elle23]

I am almost 43 and never liked 12 hour shifts, even when I was young.

[Fiona59]

There are still 8 hour acute care units out there. You have to look carefully.

My hospital has rotations that include both 12s and 8s.

I'll never go back to 12s.

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

We have 8 hour shifts on my unit. It is the 3 12s that are coveted. Most FT people have to do 2 8s, 2 12s.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Two 8s and two 12s a week actually sounds worse than five 8s.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

When I worked in the hospital, we had a mix of 12s and 8s. Most people preferred 12s.

[Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN]

I have not worked a rotating shift in over 20 years. There are places that still do that? No thank you.

[JBudd, MSN]

I'm 55 and prefer 12s.

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

12s all the way.

8 hours x 5 days = 40 hours / week

12 hours x 3 days = 36 hours / week

Both are considered FTE with benefits ... it's just a no brainer for me, even if I have to work the occasional weekend or holiday, so what?

Two less days per week of patients, commuting and hospital hassle is worth it!

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

[bagladyrn, RN]

60 and still want to work 12s! No way I want to work 5 days a week.

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

Ahh the good ole days. 2 years out I use to do 2 eves, 2 PMs. Got eve, noc and WE diff, plus a 2k contract bonus. That's when there was a nsg 'shortage' we would have 4 nurses on eves and 3 RNs mind you on nocs for 17 bed unit!!

[Caffeine_IV]

I work 8hrs night shift PRN. I just don't like 12 hour shifts on med surg anymore. I could handle 12s in a different position.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

My issue with 8 hour shifts is when your shift is over, you leave - and the rest of us that are there working our 12s have to absorb your assignment and struggle along short for the last four hours, unless we have someone willing to come in and work that random 4 hour shift to cover it. I hate it and as a full time nurse it ticks me off - unless the person working the eight is there simply to help out on a day where we are drowning and they are in OT, etc.

I can't imagine anything more dreadful than working 5 days of 11-7, or 3-11!!! OMG! That sounds HORRIBLE.

12s are just so much easier to schedule and adjust with, especially for nightshift. And I hate to sound like *that person*, but if the shift is too much for you - there are plenty of opportunities for nurses outside of the hospital environment which are staffed during business and daylight hours. I would leave the acute care environment immediately if I was asked to work five 8 hour nights. Sayonara!