Registered nurses used to work for 8 hours per shift only. Today, however, most nurses work 12-hour shifts.
There are many reasons why many facilities and nurses favor working 12 hours, but those who advocate for 8-hour shifts contend that there is a lack of effectiveness and safety for shifts that go longer than 10 hours.
Here are some considerations when creating your nursing work schedule.
There are time when becaue of patient needs or staffing demands, a nurse can actually be working for more than 12 hours. When this happens, then nurses have no choice but to work past their scheduled end of shift. There is no work-hour policy for registered nurses in the US. So while on paper, the 12 hour shift may look great, in eality the shifts can turn into 13 or more hours.
Errors can result because of the strain of long shifts. Longer work hours increase the likelihood of errors.
You don’t expose yourself to injuries or burn out if you follow an 8-hour shift. Because of sleep deprivation and slower reaction times, nurses who work long hours can suffer from workplace injuries. Research has shown that nurses who work more than 10 hours will more likely experience burnout.
Nurses are important to get patients the care that they need. Without nurses, patients may die from a lack of medical attention and care.
These are less turnover for patients if nurses have 12-hour shifts. But if the nurse is tired, and goes on over time, then she will not be able to provide the best possible care for her patients.
A long shift can adversely affect a nurse’s health. With longer shifts there are fewer workdays and less time commuting to work. There is more flexibility with longer shifts. You can have longer time at home if you work longer shifts. 8-hour shifts mean that staff can be home for several hours a day. Nurses who work on 12-hour shifts will have longer four-day weekends. With 12-hour shifts there is scheduling flexibility for your nurses. It will reduce absenteeism, increased retention, and boost morale,
If you are management, then it is easier to work with longer shifts. It only take scheduling two shifts a day. If yo have a shorter shift, then start and end times will vary. You can get confused with this. Use an employee clock time to help keep track of employees’ work hours.
Each organization will have a different nursing shift. The things considered above should help you think about how shifts affect your staff, your patients, and your bottom line.
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employee time clock