Doubles

The word gets to me sometimes. There are times where I am expecting it and I have an answer but sometimes I get caught off guard and feel stupid. Even if I don't end up doing it I have this sense of guilt about it. is it just me or is it normal. mind you that it frequently is asked of me.'
My main issue is that I don't want them to think I am not taking it seriously or just making excuses.

Guilt about not working 16 hours straight? Just say no. You don't need to give a reason.

Very true. Perhaps I'm too hard on myself or paranoid. I work on psych so who knows haha.

How long have you been a nurse? When I first started out I used to work doubles all the time. I would go three and four weeks without a single day off and I was exhausted. After about two years I stopped working myself into the ground and started saying no. After that I never again felt one ounce of guilt for saying no. It is crucial for you to enjoy your time off and just unwind. If you never say no you will burn out pretty quickly.

a year and a half now. I love being the voice of the sick but I need to find the voice for me. I am the youngest and newest nurse on the unit and the generation gap can be intimidating.

I've done 16's (I'm an aide), and it is brutal. I don't think double shifts are safe for nurses who are probably so tired and thus more prone to mistakes.

Quote from nursedanny614a year and a half now. I love being the voice of the sick but I need to find the voice for me. I am the youngest and newest nurse on the unit and the generation gap can be intimidating.

Just say no. Say NO to doubles!! They're inhumane and unsafe!

What they said. ^^^ You don't need a good reason to say "no," you don't have to make excuses, you don't have to FEEL like your "no" is an excuse. If you don't want the hours, just give a confident, unapologetic "No." The only time I've done a double as an RN was when the oncoming shift was snowed out--truly, the ones who tried to come in got stuck. Otherwise, I won't do them. I don't need the money and I REALLY don't need to risk my pts' safety.

That's why 12 hour shifts are the answer. You cannot to a double shift!

For anyone that says that a double is unsafe, consider that others might have the stamina to pull it off. I won't confirm or deny it, but I may or may not have worked 24 hours straight in the form of 3 hour 8 hour shifts. And I may or may not know a handful of nurses that have done so. Doing a double by comparison is cake.

Won't do 'em.