Can i work 12 hour shifts

Single parents working hour shifts can also struggle to find quality child care — especially when working night shifts. Another factor that can make hour shifts difficult is the type of work being done.

In jobs with heavy lifting or physically challenging work, hour shifts can be excessively fatiguing even with the extra recuperation days.

Break schedules can make the difference in how easily the adjustment to hour shifts is made. There are several implementation issues that require extra effort on the part of management when transitioning from an 8- to a hour schedule. For example, pay scales and compensation must be reviewed to insure cost neutrality.

Another factor that deters managers from preferring hour schedules are the barriers to communication that these schedule present. Communication between managers and workers can become more difficult on hour schedules when compared to 8-hour schedules. A greater amount of flexibility is necessary on the part of managers to insure proper communication. This can mean having to schedule meetings and other functions at hours inconvenient for managers in order to accommodate hour shiftworkers.

A Balanced Perspective. Through a unique combination of consulting expertise, research and technology, software tools and informative publications, CIRCADIAN helps organizations in the hour economy optimize employee performance and reduce the inherent risks and costs of their extended hours operations.

Contact Information Email: info circadian. MYTH 1 - Converting to a hour schedule will decrease the number of workers needed to staff the company. Thursday: Another day off. Watch a movie in the middle of the day, go to the DMV, cook yourself an outrageous dinner.

Enjoy this time because at seven p. Friday: While most nurses stick to either all days or all nights, some work a rotating schedule. This can be difficult on your sleep patterns, but it also can be helpful to get to know both sides of the clock. Depending on the employer, you may receive a shift differential pay bump for working night shifts, as well. Most hospitals require nurses to work a certain number of weekends a month.

You packed your lunch and washed your scrubs. Another factor that can complicate your schedule is the need to potentially cover for other nurses in your unit—in any given week you may be picking up an additional shift or portion of a shift to make sure staffing levels are met.

Obviously these days can be long—but what are the potential benefits or advantages to this scheduling approach? Patient handoffs are often a weak link in the chain of healthcare. A study by The Joint Commission found that 37 percent of the handoffs examined were unsuccessful—meaning potentially inaccurate medication doses, missed medication, undocumented symptom changes and so on.

By working hour shifts, nurses reduce the number of handoffs and with that the potential for errors associated with them.

This advantage may not directly benefit nurses, but as most of them care deeply about the patients they serve, it is an important factor to consider. It is important to take into account recovery time, but even having three full days allows you so much freedom. Not only can you have fun and relax, but you can take care of things that are difficult to squeeze into weekends and evenings—having an appointment in the middle of a Thursday afternoon takes less coordinating to accommodate.

If you live a distance from your employer, this can be a small but mighty advantage. Not only do you save time, but also money on gas and car maintenance in the long run. As you consider these points, take an honest inventory of your ability to navigate them. Depending on whether you work day shift, night shift, or a rotating schedule, you may be more or less fatigued but fatigued none the less.

If you are the business owner or manager, you may want to use employee scheduling software to better plan your staff's time. When you're struggling through a long day, you might want to reward yourself with a sugary snack from the vending machine or a greasy burger from the cafeteria.

These momentary pleasures ultimately lower your energy level and spell disaster for your day. If you want to know how to survive a hour shift, the first thing you should address is your diet. You should pack healthy meals to eat during your shift so you're not tempted to indulge in unhealthy options.

Include several small snacks as well. Package these conveniently so you can grab a bag of nuts and an apple or a banana and peanut butter even when you don't have much time to spare.

You should focus on high-energy snacks and whole foods that will keep you going instead of dragging you down. It's important to get a full night's sleep before a long shift. You should avoid drinking alcohol or caffeine at night so that you can enjoy a restful evening before bed. If you have a break of 20 minutes or longer during work, consider taking a quick nap. A lengthy shift can put you under a lot of mental strain.

You should make the most of all breaks allowed in your schedule. You could find a quiet spot to meditate and clear your mind, listen to a relaxing track of nature sounds, or read something you enjoy.

You should avoid potentially stressful activities, like watching crime drama snippets or reading intense thrillers, where you'll have to stop in the middle of the action to return to work. The right supplements can make a big difference in how well you handle a long shift. Low levels of vitamin D can lead to fatigue. You can get vitamin D from salmon, tuna or fortified food products, but a supplement might be more effective if your levels are low.

Vitamin B can decrease fatigue as well. Omega-3 fatty acids contribute to brain cell development and help you stay on top of your game. Could there be anything worse than working your butt off for 12 hours then coming home to crinkled sheets, a non-supportive pillow and dirty towels? Here are the items we recommend for your bedroom.

Here are the glasses I am referring to from Swanwick Sleep. You might like to book in any appointments for your days off rather than trying to schedule these while working. Related post: Help! Write it down. Try it. It works. This allows the blood to drain from your legs to your heart and brain.

Secondly, invest in good shoes. So some other options like Birkenstocks clogs or the popular Dansko nursing shoes are a good choice to support your feet during a long shift. These brightly colored socks prevent varicose veins. Standing for long periods of time causes valves in the veins to become weakened , with blood being collected in the veins.

This causes the veins to enlarge, increase in pressure and stretch, causing often pretty painful varicose veins. See them here on Amazon. Buying tickets for a public event, planning dinner with your family or a date with your partner. I call my nursing friends on the way to work , who were also working an early shift as a way to stay connected and it worked great! Take special care of your legs, feet, tummy and mind while not getting concerned with making everyone else happy and ticking all the boxes.

Thanks for reading our blog post about surviving 3, hour shifts in a row. How do you manage this hectic schedule? Let me know in the comments below. Hey there! Together with my husband Daniel, we run The Other Shift. Our sole aim is to help shift workers and those on unusual schedules find balance between work and life.

Read more about us and our story here. I love the ideas!