Does the 12-hour nursing shift cause burnout? - Nurse Diary (2023)

FAQs

Is the 12 hour nursing shift causing burnout? ›

It wasn't until the 1970s that hospitals introduced the 12-hour shift to combat a national nursing shortage. The 12-hour shift for nurses causes burnout due to long hours, heavy workload, and poor social support. Strategies to survive 12-hour shifts include taking breaks, self-care, and changing shifts.

Research supports that 12-hour shifts can negatively impact a nurse's health. Among the adverse effects include cognitive anxiety, insomnia, muscular-skeletal disorders, and role stress. Nurses who work long shifts are more prone to anxiety and depression.

One of the most underrated ways to survive a 12-hour nursing shift is to fuel your body well. Running through a shift on an empty stomach or without substantial food can wear you down quickly. Meals that provide long-lasting energy make a big difference. Packing meals also saves money in the long run!

When you are working for 12 hours there is often little time before, during and after your shifts to eat healthy meals or exercise properly. This combined with fatigue and other adverse factors can result in some serious health risks including depression, anxiety and insomnia.

Workers on 12-hour shifts never work more than two days in a row, reducing problems of stress and cumulative fatigue. Less commuting required. Fewer days at work mean fewer days of driving to and from work. This represents time saving and reduced transportation costs for employees with longer commutes.

There may even be advantages to 12 hour shifts in terms of lower stress levels, better physical and psychological wellbeing, improved durations and quality of off duty sleep as well as improvements in family relations. On the negative side, the main concerns are fatigue and safety.

One of the top disadvantages of being a night shift nurse is the adverse effects it has on your health. A common problem among night shift nurses is their propensity to develop health issues, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, due to metabolic changes that result from lack of sleep.

Each comes with its advantages and disadvantages. 12-hour shift benefits include greater continuity, an increase in employee knowledge, and better collaboration. There is also a greater work-life balance because there are more continuous days off. 12-hour shifts can be tiresome and cause workplace fatigue.

For some, the night shift is a preferred choice, as it offers nurses the opportunity to have free time during the day hours. Like the other types of shifts, night shifts have a 12-hour shift, which may be scheduled between the hours of 7 pm and 7 am. An 8-hour night shift may be between the hours of 11 pm and 7 am.

How far does a nurse walk during an average 12-hour shift? ›

A nurse can travel upwards of 4 miles during an average 12-hour shift; every step to retrieve supplies is a step away from a patient, a step in the wrong direction.

In most cases, hospitals will not allow nurses to work more than 16 hours in a row. Clinic nurses (private practice) typically will not work more than 8 hours per day. Scheduled shifts are typically either 8, 10, or 12 hours in duration and may not follow the typical pattern of the day, evening, or night shifts.

In general, 8-hour shifts are preferable to 12-hour shifts. Circadian physiology suggests that morning shifts should begin no earlier than 8:00 am for the physiological best fit to circadian rhythmicity.

With 12-hour shifts, your physical and mental health may be at risk. Those who work long shifts are more prone to obesity, sleep problems and low energy levels. Certain professions require long shifts due to the on-the-job duties. Examples are truck drivers, nurses and police officers.

Shortened Work Week: In most hospitals, working three 12-hour shifts means four days off each week. The extended break is advantageous if you have a longer commute or require child care. You get less time on the road and more time with your family than those working the traditional 9 to 5.

Long Working Hours

In fact, considering that most of us get between 6-8 hours of sleep, a 12-hour shift would only leave you with around 4 hours of “free” time or to “wind down”. This in and of itself is physically and mentally draining and can cause you to feel run down and like you have little to no energy.

With a 12-hour shift schedule, there are only two shift turnovers per day, resulting in fewer opportunities for miscommunications and production disruptions that may occur during shift changeover periods. This can translate into increased productivity, along with lower error and accident rates.

Companies across America are fairly evenly divided between 8- and 12-hour shifts: In a Circadian survey of 400 shiftwork operations, 37 percent were using 12-hour shifts while 34 percent were using 8-hour shifts.

It's important to recognize that there can be negative health concerns that come with working a 12 hour shift. Consistently working long shifts can contribute to sleep disorders, obesity and chronic fatigue. It can be difficult to get enough sleep or stick to a regular sleep schedule.

Should nurses shifts be shortened? ›

Shorter nursing shifts often result in less fatigue and burnout for nurses. Nurses working eight-hour shifts work fewer hours, so they can go home for a break. They typically get at least a few hours of rest every day. These rest periods can allow nurses to feel more energized for their next shift.

There are three active ingredients that together make Night Nurse work efficiently at helping people dealing with colds and the flu to sleep better: paracetamol, dextromethorphan, and promethazine.

Night shift is great for new nurses, because there is more downtime to learn. Day shift can be overwhelming for a new grad, so I suggest trying the nightlife until you get the hang of things. It allows for more time to look at your patient's chart and learn why you are doing what you are doing.

1) Less Stress Getting Settled

They can help you unpack. They can also help you feed, change, and care for the new addition to your family right away. Some night nurses can even provide advice and guidance on breastfeeding. With their help, getting settled at home might not be a breeze, but it will certainly be easier!

Regular 4-on 4 off:

This is a classic continuous working pattern based on 12 hour shifts. Participants work for four consecutive 12-hour days, followed by four consecutive days off, then four consecutive 12-hour nights, followed by four consecutive days off, then four more days and so on.

A 12 hour rotating shift might work like this. For three days you work 12 hours during the day, have two days off; work 12 hours on nights for 4 days, have 3 days off; work 12 hours on days for 3 days etc. Of course there are many variations on this theme.

A 2-2-3 work schedule requires employees to work 12-hour shifts in a 28-day rotating shift cycle. Four teams work 2 days in a row, get 2 days off, then work another 3 days. Typically, the teams will work opposite schedules throughout the 28-day cycle.

More productivity: Nurses are commonly more productive during an 8-hour shift. While longer shifts can cause nurses to become fatigued quickly, a shorter shift allows more to get done from the hours put in each day.

Some nurses work the day shift and others work the night shift. Then there's an entirely different group who works both day and night: the swing-shift nurses. Working swing shifts—day shifts and night shifts in the same week or even in two-week period—can be tough on your body.

Why second shift is the best? ›

Working second shift allows you to work outside of traditional hours, which may allow you to commute to work in less traffic. This may reduce how long your commute requires each day, providing you with more time for yourself.

Nurses expend on average 1521 kcals/6364 kJ over a 12-hour shift. 72% of nurses expend enough energy to maintain a healthy body weight if dietary intake does not exceed recommended levels (for females).

Depending on where you work, you could be responsible for one patient at a time (in a surgical setting, for example) or up to six patients (in a psychiatric ward). In some settings, such as large, busy hospitals, a nurse could be asked to care for eight or more patients at a time.

Decrease Health Complications: Long hours and high stress levels in nursing can lead to serious health conditions among nurses, including gastric ulcers, musculoskeletal disorders, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Why is it that the average RN career length is only nine years? Incredible Health.

For the most people, rotating forward through day, afternoon and night shift is better than backwards (night, afternoon then day). The frequency of rotation is also controversial. Some people advocate prolonged rotation, such as two to three weeks. Others advocate short rotations of two to three days.

So how much work is too much? A recent study by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization shows that working more than 55 hours a week can have negative effects on your health.

A study from the World Health Organization (WHO) found that working an average of 55 hours or more each week increases your risk of stroke by 35 percent and your risk of dying from heart disease by 17 percent, compared to averaging a 35-40 hour workweek.

Increased risk of burnout

Most notably, longer shifts might mess up sleep cycles for employees which can negatively affect their health. This is especially true for employees who work night shifts – they typically get two to four hours less sleep than usual.

Why is burnout so high in nursing? ›

There are many causes of nurse burnout. Some causes are inherent to the job: providing compassionate care, working long hours, changing shift schedules, and being on your feet for hours at a time can all place serious demands on nurses.

At least 25% of nurses have been experiencing burnout symptoms. This includes things like stress, anxiety, depression, and other forms of emotional exhaustion. Additionally, many of these nurses also face depersonalization and a diminished sense of professional achievement. 85% of nurses experience career fatigue.

Long Work Hours

Working longer hours increases stress, which leads to poor performance and a decreased ability to provide top-notch patient care. Over time, this leads to exhaustion, burnout, and an increased risk of making a critical error; becoming a cyclical effect.

Critical care nurses tend to suffer the highest rates of burnout. Critical care specialties include the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU). Emergency department nurses tend to experience the highest rates of burnout.

This may seem very obvious, but when you are working 12-hour shifts, it's important that you plan your sleep schedule around them. Remember that 8 hours of sleep is ideal, but 6 hours will also do if you're struggling to find time for 8 hours.

The most stressful nursing jobs include ICU nurse, ER nurse, and NICU nurse. In these roles, nurses work in an intense environment with high stakes. They manage emergency situations and care for critically ill patients. Other stressful nursing jobs include OR nursing, oncology nursing, and psychiatric nursing.

A nurse experiencing burnout might have mental fatigue and feel emotionally drained. They may feel more negative or cynical towards their work and dread the next shift. They feel that they are starting to lose the passion and drive for the career that they once loved.

What are the potential signs of burnout for nurses? ›

Per the data, 4.2% (or an estimated 33,811) of licensed practical nurses/licensed vocational nurses left the workforce in the past two years—an issue compounded by “considerable and somewhat unprecedented disruptions” to prelicensure nursing education programs during the past few years.