Would 8 hour shifts help alleviate burnout?

[OgopogoLPN]

I work in a LTC facility and most LTC facilities in my area have 8 hour shifts only, while acute care is almost all 12's.

So, my question is, would having 8 hour shifts in acute care help alleviate burnout?

Yes, it would then take 3 nurses to fill a 24 hour period and not 2, but would more nurses be inclined to stay in the field knowing they wouldn't be subjected to 12 hour shifts?

On the flip side, do most nurses like 12 hour shift so they can do their 4 on then 4 off?

Even though I do 8 hour shifts in LTC, all the fulltimers do 4 on, 2 off and 6 on 3 off. So less days off in between, which would not be appealing to some.

I would personally be working in acute care if I could get 8 hour shifts instead of 12. Not so much that I can't handle 12's, but it would be far too hard on my family and children (5 and 8). They would vitually not see me during a block of 12's.

Thoughts?

[FATKAT]

Although I don't have kids yet, when I work 12's I also feel out of sinc with the rest of the world, and I have to admit it is hell on my marriage, my husband works a normal mon-fri job so I only see him every second weekend. I usually get stuck working most holidays too, so I miss out on all kinds of stuff. I used to have a few 8's in my rotation (no longer) and it was great, I wasn't half as tired and still had some of the day to enjoy and had some semblence of normalcy. As it is now, when I work three in a row 12's (that's the most in a row in my rotation) I am exhausted by the end and I don't see anyone or do anything but work and sleep, and quite frequently I get sick after a stretch of 12's due to getting run down. The only good thing about 12's is when it comes to vacation time, I can get a month off really easily. I think the whole out of sync feeling and working most holidays and missing out on family stuff adds to the stress of 12's - not good. I work full time which I think is a bit to much when you work 12's. I think that if I worked part time or casual 12's would not be so bad, you could work only 3 days a week or something and rack up the hours. :nuke:

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

It seems to depend on the person and where they work. I would love to have a 12 or 10 hour shift, but I work in a clinic, so that is not an option for me.

Pros for the 12 hours are having more time to yourself to schedule appointments, school, second jobs without interference and more time with the family.

Cons are that many of the nurses I know are now working 14 hours, because they still are backed up in documentation, there are almost never 3 days working and 4 off in a row, it can split up your weekends, meaning that some are off on Saturday but have to come in on Sunday if Sunday is the first day of the week. Longer hours on your feet, and difficulty obtaining relief is another major issue. It is harder to get someone to cover 12 hours at the last minute and most areas cannot mandate a person to remain more than an additional 4 hours.

Again, it would work well for me, but I can see how it can be a drain.

[Penguin67]

When I got out of school, I worked a great program called "7on-7off". I worked from 2:30-11:30 Monday-Sunday. then had 7 days off. You always knew your schedule and always knew what holidays you were going to work. It was great. I would like to see that program come back, as we are killing folks with 12 hours shifts, short staffing and really critically ill patients. Working the shift I did, you didn't see burnout as you could "rotate" the difficult patients, and might have them 1-2 times a week, but not every day for 12 hours. You also had time to have a life on the day that you worked, s you could run errands before work (or after work if you worked days). It was a great schedule. Also, if you needed off for something, you could ask you "partner" who worked the opposite week to cover for you. Or you could work extra shifts on your off week, if you desired. And, staying over for 1-2 hours to help out didn't pose the safety risk that it does for a 12 hour shift.

Twelve hour shifts need to go away. It's destroying the staff.:twocents:

[FATKAT]

I agree, 12 hr shifts need to go away.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

My floor offers 5 8s or 3 12s. Only 2 people do 8s. I LOVE 12s and would HATE to work 5 days a week.

[Fiona59]

Ogopogoo:

Not all Canadian acute jobs are 12's. I've worked in BC and AB and have found 4, 8, and 12 hour shifts in both provinces. I've made it clear to my managers that 12 hours don't work for me.

Our rotations are based over a 12 week schedule and I've seen FOUR 12's back to back and then seven days off. I've seen lines with SIX 8's back to back. You just have to watch the rotation line very carefully.

My hospital's staffing office adores people that will work a four hour shift. You're in and your out.

Those 12's need to become voluntary. I've seen younger nurses say they adore 12s and then they have their first baby. Childcare becomes a nightmare unless they have family close by. They don't want to work the shifts back to back. Suddenly 8's become very appealing.

[PinkPeony7]

I am about to finish school in December and accepted a job in labor and delivery working 4 eight hour shifts a week. I was looking forward to the 3 12's and the 4 days off, but in this department everyone works 8s. I was told it was because of the older nurses who work day shift that don't want to do 12 hour shifts anymore.

At first I was really bummed out my this, but I have changed my mind. I will have a six month orientation and there will be so much to learn. I will probably learn better by starting out working 8 hour shifts. I've done 12-13 hour clinicals and after the 9th hour I am too exhausted to learn much more, as are most of my classmates.

Hopefully after getting comfortable at my job I can either work 40 hour weeks or maybe get a per-diem 12-hour shift at another hospital for the extra money. Right now I'm just happy to have a job period since many of my classmates are struggling in their job search. There are some hospitals in my area that have initiated hiring freezes because of the economy and its not as easy to get a new grad job as it used to be.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I do five 8's and hate working 5 days in a row, but love getting off at 3pm. Much less stress in a day when you can leave at 3pm. By Friday I'm whipped.

There's pluses and minuses to each schedule. It usually comes down to individual preferences.

[Xbox Live Addict]

I hated 12's myself. I had to work 12's at when they were mandated for licensed nurses at one LTC/SNF, and since I was a 2-10 nurse, I got shafted both ways. I'm not an early morning person, and I don't function especially well working overnight either, since daytime sleep after a night shift left me bathed in nasty sweat with a raging headache to boot.

The worst part was having to try to go to bed right after getting home, only to have to try to go to work right away when I got back up. I felt like a Franciscan monk living my life entirely for the cause of nursing, and after about three months, I couldn't stand it anymore.

Going to a facility that offered 8-hour days improved my mood measurably.

[Batman24]

I LOVE working 3 days and 12 hour shifts. It works well for me and my lifestyle. I work hard as hell for 3 days but enjoy then having 4 off.

[vamedic4, EMT-P]

I've worked both, and prefer 12s. I could not STAND to be there 5 days a week! This way, I work 2, off 2 or 3, then work 2 more. At least I get a break that way.

AGREED. I used to work 5 8's a week. Then I went to 2 12s and 2 8s, then I just settled on 3 12 hour shifts. I don't work days in a row but I always have at least 2 days off in a row. Working 5 days a week sucks the royal bone. I don't know how anyone does that, I know I never will again.

[tntrn, ASN, RN]

I've been doing nursing for 32 years. I am blessed in that I work per diem and work when I want...sometimes that means 1 shift a week. BUT, I turned down a job which was exactly what I wanted, except that it was 12 hour shifts. I was told that the position was for 12 hours, but you could sign up for 8's, because they were usually some available.

In the end, I opted out. I just couldn't face the idea of getting up at 5 am and not getting home until 8:30 pm or worse yet, going to work at 7 pm and not getting home until 8:30 am! (I cannot sleep long hours in the daytime.)

It would kill my spirit, not to mention my feet, which hurt all the time anyway.

8's for me.