Most nurses
have worked 12 hour shifts, and occasionally 16 hour shifts, so where should
the line be drawn? How many is too many?
12 Hour Shifts
Many nurses
work 12 hour shifts, and most have no problem in doing so. The shifts are usually 3 days per week,
allowing for 4 complete off days. For
most nurses, that works out great, however not everyone is the same. Some people find that 12 hours is too many
continuous hours, and they prefer a shift schedule of 8. The important factor is, each individual
should have a comfort level in the hours they work.
Related: Where do Nurses Work?
Statistics On Working Hours
Studies have
been conducted on the nursing profession in regards to hours worked, and the
results were not what was anticipated.
Prior to 2010, the American Medical Association recommended Nurses
should work 8 hour shifts, and only in emergencies should they work 12
hours. Of course their advice was not
well received by nurses, and in fact was ignored by hospitals that employ
nurses. It's difficult to keep a full
nursing staff, and there is no question, the more accommodating the employer is
to the hired Nurse, the more likely they are to stay. The study set out to
prove that response or reaction times dropped significantly from those working
8 hours, to those working 12 hours. The
study conducted in 2010 indicated the following;
- Response/reaction time after 8 hours – 12 seconds (100 nurses volunteered to be tested for all tests)
- Response/reaction time after 12 hours – 12 seconds.
- Response/reaction time after 16 hours – 19 seconds
It appears
pretty obvious that the 16 hour test indicated a slower response time, however,
there was no difference between 8 and 12.
That being said, the fact is, some people do just fine working 12 hours,
while another may reach the work overload point at 8-9 hours. 16 hours on occasion may not be too much,
however 16 hours on a regular basis is too much for such a critical job.
A 16 Hour Shift
Betty had
worked in nursing for 22 years, and planned to work another 15 years before
retiring. She had been promoted to head
Nurse in ICU at a major hospital, and not only loved, her job, but was great at
her job and had received numerous awards over the years. Recently there had been a shortage of nurses,
and the impact was felt by all the working nurses. For the third day in a row, Betty was working
a 16 hour shift. Betty had two patients
that night, one was a firefighter with pneumonia, who was expected to recover
well. The other was not doing well and
the physician ordered a paralytic drip to be administered. This drug is administered at a very slow
drip, and the antibiotic prescribed for the firefighter was administered at a
fast drip. Sadly, Betty mixed them up,
and the firefighter lost his life. Betty
lost her job and career, although putting some blame back at the hospital for
requiring her to work continuous long hours.
Measures have been put in place over the years to prevent Mistakes like
this from happening, however human error rates rise after working 12-13
hours.
Related: The Happy Side of Nursing
Solution to Long Hours
Hospitals
human resource departments have an obligation to ensure nursing positions are
filled. It may be challenging at times,
there can be a nursing shortage, which can create open nursing shifts. Many human resource departments in hospitals
set up recruitment seminars, or attend nursing school functions for the purpose
of recruiting new nurses. Human resource
personnel are trained in active recruitment strategies, and have assets
available to recruit qualified nurses.
Nurses that are currently employed may want to help cover open shift
times, however, for the safety of the patient's, and for your own well being,
working over 12 hours on a regular basis is not a good idea, in fact it can
lead to disaster.
When
approached regarding overtime, use your best judgement, based on your level of
exhaustion, as well as your ability to remain at work extra hours. Naturally, you want to be helpful when
possible, however, it is not feasible to work multiple 16 hour shifts. Some recruitment seminars may ask for nurses
to attend explain your job, and provide an incentive for working at your
facility. This is a great opportunity to expand your expertise, and share
experiences with student nurses. It will
also demonstrate your desire to see that nursing positions are properly filled.
No one wants
to leave their working floor short staffed, but your patient’s care and safety
are more important. Work overtime at
your own discretion, and never accept an assignment when you do not feel you
are physically and mentally up to the challenge.
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