Working 12 hour shifts- Good or bad?

I am a nursing student that is about to graduate and curious how other nurses feel about the quality of care that is given over a 12 hour shift. I know the shifts are nice because you are essentially working 3 days a week (without picked up shifts) and then you have time to yourself but what happens to the quality of care when you work 3 straight or pick up some shifts throughout the week? I am dog tired after 2 consecutive days and know nurses that do 5-6 days in a seven day stretch so they can have 6-7 days off. By the end of a 5-6 day stretch I think there is a greater chance for error and is that really in our patient's best interest?
You work what you are comfortable with. If you are tired after two days in a row, dont work 3 in a row. I love 12 hour shifts, I feel like I am able to get more done.

Quote from vanh0923I am a nursing student that is about to graduate and curious how other nurses feel about the quality of care that is given over a 12 hour shift. I know the shifts are nice because you are essentially working 3 days a week (without picked up shifts) and then you have time to yourself but what happens to the quality of care when you work 3 straight or pick up some shifts throughout the week? I am dog tired after 2 consecutive days and know nurses that do 5-6 days in a seven day stretch so they can have 6-7 days off. By the end of a 5-6 day stretch I think there is a greater chance for error and is that really in our patient's best interest?

According to research, 12 hr shifts increase medication errors by at least 10%. It is not easy, it is hard to be productive for 12 hrs straight. However, you are the one that knows your strengths.Maybe you can try working a few 12 hr shift and see if you like it or not.

I don't want to assume .. because you are a student, that you are less than 40 years old.I have worked 12's .. 8's .. and everything in between.I found as I got older that 12 hour shifts.. that frequently became 13 hours(without a break), was not do-able.I have been able to function well on the 12 hours schedule.. if I only do 2 in a row.My legs, mind and body still ache... but it can be done.Just make sure your facility understands your limitations.. and enjoy your days off!

There are some articles out there that claim 12 hour shifts are less safe that are examples of embarrassingly bad statistical analysis. These are based solely on the premise that risk for error increases in hours 9-12 of a 12 hour shift, comparing a single 8 hour shift to a single 12 hour shift. What these fail to account for, is the additional workdays required of an 8-hour schedule.There is something called the "consecutive day phenomenon"- an increase in error risk with each consecutive day worked. There is also an increased risk of errors with fewer recovery days, particularly for night shift workers. If we look at a full time 12-hour schedule vs a full time 8-hour schedule, 12-hour shifts are actually far safer due to the increased risk of error the additional workdays produced by an 8-hour schedule. In a hospital setting, weekends need to be covered, which means that with an 8-hour schedule employees must work every-other weekend requiring them to work 7 days straight in order to get two stretches off over 2 weeks of two days each. (7 on, 2 off, 4 on, 2 off, then back to 7 on). For day shift workers this is less significant, but for night shift workers this lack of meaningful recovery time combined with length of consecutive shifts causes a significant increases in errors and a more negative impact on health, including increased risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

I long for a schedule where I can work no more than 3 12s in a week, because doing an 8, a 12, and a couple of more 8s sucks ass.

Everyone is different. I LOVE 12 hour shifts. But everyone is different. Some people prefer the M-F 8 hr shift. Even with 12's some people prefer doing all 3 in a row, or 2 in a row is more than some can take. I've known others to work 5-6 in a row, which is something I could not do with the floor I am on. I think you just have to find out what you are comfortable with.