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Guidelines for Scheduling Nursing Shifts

Registered nurses used to work for 8 hours per shift only. But times have changed and nurses now work 12-hour shifts.

Facilities and nurses who favor 12-hour shifts have their good reasons for doing so but those who advocate for 8-hour shifts contend that there is a lack of effectiveness and safety for those who work longer than10 hours.

Below are some things to consider when creating your nurse’s work schedule.

Regardless of what the nurse’s schedule may say, there are many times when nurses work overtime because of patient needs or staffing demands. Even if the nurses schedule has ended, nurses have no choice but to work past it. 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.

If a nurse works a very long shift, then she is very prone to error. If you work long hours it can increase the likelihood of making errors.

The risk of injuries or burn out is reduced with a move to an 8-hour shift. Nurses who work long hours can suffer from workplace injuries due to sleep deprivation and slower reaction times as a result. Most nurses experience burnout if they work more than 10 hours.

Patients need medical care which only nurses can provide them. Without nurses, patients may die from a lack of medical attention and care.

If nurses work 12-hour shifts, then there is less turnover for patients. 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.

Long shifts can impact nurses’ health negatively. With longer shifts there are fewer workdays and less time commuting to work. More flexibility is experienced with longer shifts. With longer shifts you stay home longer as well. 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. 12-hour shifts also mean flexible scheduling for your nurses. It reduces absenteeism, increases retention and boosts morale.

You can work easily with longer shifts if you are the management. There will only be two shifts a day. There will be varied with start and end times with shorter shift. This can be confusing to everyone. Use an employee clock time to help keep track of employees’ work hours.

Not all organizations will have the same working shift. Your staff, your patients, and your bottom line will definitely be affected by the shifts and so the things mentioned above should help you think about this.

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