Why do some nurses do this? And why are they allowed to?

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maybe it's just me.....but can anyone explain to me why a nurse would want to work nine twelve-hour shifts in a row?

this is a staff nurse i'm referring to, and she was telling me how much overtime she has on her checks....something like forty hours of overtime (i'm assuming they pay every 2 weeks.) :uhoh21:

why on earth would anyone want to do this? what's bad is that by doing these kinds of hours, she is setting a precedent for all the other nurses on the unit - in other words, if she works sixty hours a week management will probably say "well, look at so-and-so, she works sixty hours per week, i guess the other nurses can do it, too!"

there are only a handful of staff nurses left, the rest are agency/travel nurses. there's no difference in this ms floor than any other. i'm wondering if this is the reason they can't keep staff.

they have one or two nurses willing to work constantly, so they expect the others to.....and no person in their right mind is going to want to work those hours, at least imho, unless they have some sort of emergency financial crisis.

i just don't understand some people.....lol.

Thank you bonemarrowrn..... I guess I kinda went a little defensive...LOL. Been feeling really guilty because I am so tired of it all. I went to my personal physican and begged, pleaded, and cried for him to prescribe me an anti depressant, because I am just... well, I feel that I am depressed and anxious.... he knows everything about my life and my baby girl's situation, but NO NO NO... his reply was " You are handling things just fine and I don't think you need anything more than a little nap and you'll be fine, Honey... are you on your monthly????" WELL... alrighty then... Butthead... So Apparently I am so well-adjusted I could just spit!!!

Thank God my hubby is the most wonderful guy on the planet. Totally lucked out there, he is my saving grace...Such a wonderful Daddy.... He is my Prozac and my little girl is my ativan.... ( she calms me ).... Now my Mother in law... She is ipecac...makes me want to vomit....lol

Thanks Again....

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I work weekend option which means 2 12-hr shifts and an 8-hr shift during the week for a total of 32hrs/week. By choice, I end up working 4 or 5 12-hr shifts during a week to cover the unit due to our staffing shortage. Generally, anything over 40-hrs is overtime. Luckily, at our facility, anything over and above what you are actually scheduled to work is overtime. So, anything over and above my 32-hrs is overtime. So, yes, I sometimes have 30 hrs overtime in a week, and based on our two-week pay period, it will equate to 60 hrs overtime on my check.

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If the nurse is performing ok then why worry?! If they are a liability then you will need to tke action.

My boss wants us to go to 12 hr shifts but I know that my milk of human kindness has well and truly curdled by the end of 8!

Actually, I resisted at first too, but have come to love 12 hr shifts, and the extra days it gives you off a week! Hey, you're there for 8+ hours anyway, what's the difference, a couple of more hrs? You get used to it...

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maybe there in their manic phase.

:balloons:

i have a good pal who is bipolar and she knows when she is dropping into her "sluggish" mode. she is basically bed bound for a few weeks and can rely on the money she was making in ot to carry her over. she is a brilliant and compassionate nurse who has had a lot of struggles with her disease, including medication management. good point

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:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: what happened to 16!!! (at least for nurses)?

all staff nurses are scheduled 12 hour shifts, 8 in the clinics. sometimes nurses who work transport work 24 hour shifts. but don't forget this applies to all. including residents, attendings, etc.

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Well, the longest I've ever worked is approximately 42 days in a row, doing all 12 and some 16 hour shifts. It was a short term assignment and I could do it, because I knew there was an "end" in sight. Also, the pay was great. Sure, I got tired, but if at any moment I felt as if my judgment had been impaired from working the long hours, I would have stepped aside and asked for help. I had to make sure I went to sleep as soon as I got off work, and got a good nights sleep. I am single, and no children, so it's not like I was neglecting a family. IF I had had a family , I would have found this difficult to do. As far as taxes go, I am incorporated, which keeps taxes to a very low minimum. Just thought I'd add my two cents... :nurse:

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maybe it's just me.....but can anyone explain to me why a nurse would want to work nine twelve-hour shifts in a row?

this is a staff nurse i'm referring to, and she was telling me how much overtime she has on her checks....something like forty hours of overtime (i'm assuming they pay every 2 weeks.) :uhoh21:

why on earth would anyone want to do this? what's bad is that by doing these kinds of hours, she is setting a precedent for all the other nurses on the unit - in other words, if she works sixty hours a week management will probably say "well, look at so-and-so, she works sixty hours per week, i guess the other nurses can do it, too!"

there are only a handful of staff nurses left, the rest are agency/travel nurses. there's no difference in this ms floor than any other. i'm wondering if this is the reason they can't keep staff.

they have one or two nurses willing to work constantly, so they expect the others to.....and no person in their right mind is going to want to work those hours, at least imho, unless they have some sort of emergency financial crisis.

i just don't understand some people.....lol.

i can understand the need and desire to want lots of overtime. i recently graduated and being in school for an extended period of time set me back a good piece. i am asking for all the overtime i can get to catch up on things i had no choice but to neglect. also, i need a new vehicle because i drive 50 miles one-way to work and mine has >200,000 miles. plain and simple if you want something you have to work for it.

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maybe it's just me.....but can anyone explain to me why a nurse would want to work nine twelve-hour shifts in a row?

this is a staff nurse i'm referring to, and she was telling me how much overtime she has on her checks....something like forty hours of overtime (i'm assuming they pay every 2 weeks.) :uhoh21:

why on earth would anyone want to do this? what's bad is that by doing these kinds of hours, she is setting a precedent for all the other nurses on the unit - in other words, if she works sixty hours a week management will probably say "well, look at so-and-so, she works sixty hours per week, i guess the other nurses can do it, too!"

there are only a handful of staff nurses left, the rest are agency/travel nurses. there's no difference in this ms floor than any other. i'm wondering if this is the reason they can't keep staff.

they have one or two nurses willing to work constantly, so they expect the others to.....and no person in their right mind is going to want to work those hours, at least imho, unless they have some sort of emergency financial crisis.

i just don't understand some people.....lol.

12x9=108. this nurse is sick, or she will be. i doube management is looking up to her as a hard worker. i wonder about the safety issue for the patients.

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Well, the longest I've ever worked is approximately 42 days in a row, doing all 12 and some 16 hour shifts. It was a short term assignment and I could do it, because I knew there was an "end" in sight. Also, the pay was great. Sure, I got tired, but if at any moment I felt as if my judgment had been impaired from working the long hours, I would have stepped aside and asked for help. I had to make sure I went to sleep as soon as I got off work, and got a good nights sleep. I am single, and no children, so it's not like I was neglecting a family. IF I had had a family , I would have found this difficult to do. As far as taxes go, I am incorporated, which keeps taxes to a very low minimum. Just thought I'd add my two cents... :nurse:

Wnat about state labor laws? I guess nurses are not included in them?

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Wnat about state labor laws? I guess nurses are not included in them?

I guess not...because I've done this in more than 6 states. (I guess state labor laws dont apply to nurses). And I for one am glad. At least I have a choice. They can't MAKE me work, but if I feel up to it, I can.

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quoted from cathylynn ... "as a person gets older, up in my age range, 50's, a person can boost their social security earnings, and when a person retires they can draw more social security. i know of several older nurses my age, 51 and all the way up to 62 or 63 who are doing it, mainly to build up their social security. i think it's the last 3 to 5 years of your working time just before you retire that really counts towards that. that's what i've been told."

i was also told that and i have seen some information at websites/pages other than the social security website.

social security administration website/page http://www.ssa.gov/planners/faqs.htm

q. are my benefits figured on my last five years of earnings?

a. no. retirement benefit calculations are based on your average earnings during a lifetime of work under the social security system. for most current and future retirees, we will average your 35 highest years of earnings. years in which you have low earnings or no earnings may be counted to bring the total years of earnings up to 35.

here's a page for anyone born in 1938 or later, "full retirement age is increasing" http://www.ssa.gov/retirechartred.htm

to get full retirement i'll have to work to age 66.

:sniff:

thank you for that information. obviously i was misinformed.

now i know where to get the correct information.

thanks again.

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.

Well, folks, I know I already weighed in on this, but when I went into the hospital today, the most ragged assemblage of humanity you ever saw greeted me. These are people who have been working tons of OT . I'm there 4 days per month, so I believe I can see the difference better than people who are in the middle of it day after day, and I don't think anyone can convince me that there is not a measurable decline in work quality.

I'm not saying people don't do what they have to do, but isn't there a risk to mgt allowing someone to work this volume of OT? If I was a malpractice attorney, you can bet my discovery on medical errors of any sort would include work schedules.

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