Our L&D unit just announced they're piloting 8-hour shifts alongside the 12s and we have to pick by the end of the month. Five 8s versus three 12s, same hours. Manager says it's to help with handoffs and fatigue, but I'm pretty sure it's also because they can't fill the 12s.
Part of me likes the idea of not being destroyed after a long induction that goes sideways at hour 11. Part of me thinks five days a week of commuting and parking and badge scanning sounds miserable. And labor doesn't care what time your shift ends anyway.
If you've worked both in L&D or anywhere honestly, which did you actually prefer once the novelty wore off? Did 8s feel like you never got a day off?
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Post replyYou're right about the staffing thing. Our unit pitched 8s as a wellness initiative and three months later they were asking the 8s people to stay over because nobody picked up the back half. Labor really does not care when your shift ends.
Is it locked in once you pick, or can you switch back after a few months? I'd want an out before committing to anything they call a pilot.
Counterpoint, I'm older and my knees are done. Five 8s means I can actually function on my days off instead of spending the first one recovering. Not everyone is 26 anymore.
Did 8s for two years on a med-surg floor before switching. Honestly felt like I lived at the hospital. You lose the whole day either way because by the time you get home, eat, and decompress it's bedtime. Went back to 12s and never looked back.