8-hour shifts save money?

I am no billing expert, so I'm hoping some of you out there are. Hospitals in my state are pushing to move to 8-hour shifts claiming that they can increase revenue/save money, although they won't reveal how. (Supposedly $6 million a year at a 250 bed hospital). Does anyone know where this savings/increased revenue comes from?

It's been suggested that they can increase their medicare reimbursements by using 3 Nurses a day instead of 2, even though the total Nurse hours are the same either way, anybody know if this is true? Any other ideas how this saves money?
That's an interesting claim. We just went to all 8s but it was based on patient safety due to research against 12 hr shifts. Having to staff 3 nurses a day instead of two you would think costs more, I'd be interested to hear how it is so cost saving.

This makes me laugh. I'm on 8 hours now, and we are switching to 12's soon. I work for a huge corporation.

Quote from I<3NursingThat's an interesting claim. We just went to all 8s but it was based on patient safety due to research against 12 hr shifts. Having to staff 3 nurses a day instead of two you would think costs more, I'd be interested to hear how it is so cost saving.

Going to 8's from 12's increases the commuting time and costs of the employee by 66%.

I am no HR expert but I have been told that 8 hour shifts means a unit needs fewer people on staff because each person works more often. As a result, the cost of benefits goes down. Thus, a cost savings.

8-hour shifts are more costly in my neck of the woods due to the sky-high employee turnover rate of the evening shift (3 to 11pm or 2 to 10pm). Many nurses do not like this shift because it interferes with family life, social life, and so forth. Also, this shift consumes the early afternoon, evening, and part of the night.Management and HR must also factor in the costs of constantly having to orient and train new hires for the evening shift.

There is lots of evidence to suggest that 12 hour shifts are a safety problemhttp://www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=2473http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/se...hift-s06.shtmlhttp://www.healthleadersmedia.com/pa...2Hour-Shifts##

Quote from madwife2002There is lots of evidence to suggest that 12 hour shifts are a safety problemhttp://www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=2473http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/se...hift-s06.shtmlhttp://www.healthleadersmedia.com/pa...2Hour-Shifts##

Quote from Emergency RNGoing to 8's from 12's increases the commuting time and costs of the employee by 66%.

Quote from Ashley, PICU RNI'd also think 8 hour shifts would cost more in overtime pay. If you're an hour late on just one overtime shift then it's overtime. But on 12's, you have to work 4 extra hours to start making overtime. In 8 hour shifts, you have 21 shifts to staff each week. In 12's, it's only 14. So you can have less nurses on staff.

Quote from Ashley, PICU RNCare to explain this? I would think it would be the opposite.

If nurses are shifting from 3 12's per week to 5 8's per week, then each nurse is shifting from 36 hours per week to 40 hours per week. You'd be getting 4 more hours per week per nurse. I assume you would still need the same number of nurse-hours per week, so you would need fewer nurses, since each nurse would be working 11% more hours per week. You wouldn't save on hourly wages (same number of nurse-hours), but you'd save on benefits.