brazilbrowneyes Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 I'm looking into a hospitalist neurosurg position that has rotating shift work (working 3 12's per week, then rotating days for a month, nights for a month, and weekend days for a month). I like the idea of 4 days off a week but would like to know how it is working this kind of schedule long term. How does it effect your circadian rythms, family life, etc.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted February 12, 2012 Moderator Share Posted February 12, 2012 I prefer all nights to a rotating schedule. did rotating for 15 years and really was never well rested unless on vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpSite Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 It's much better to maintain a stable schedule than to rotate between shifts.....even if you think you can handle it, your body will suffer. I worked 15 years nights, 3 years straight evenings and am currently day/eve rotator. My natural rhythm would be to work evenings all the time but I found that eve shift was the least workable with my family once the kids went to school. Nights was the most flexible but that's because I slept when it was convenient rather than healthy....don't recommend that. Anyway, I'd say skip the rotating shifts and just choose one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stjprn Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 My ex-husband worked rotating shifts for many years, when our daughter was young. It was pretty catastrophic to family life, and finding childcare was very, very difficult. I wouldn't recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted February 12, 2012 Moderator Share Posted February 12, 2012 rotating shifts is just generally a bad idea did 4 yrs of nights in the USAF and never had a problem, first job as a PA was in the ER and it was a crazy rotation and I lasted about 3 months..... startling how different it was from just being on nights. That being said, all nights sort of stinks too unless they give them to you in blocks of time - ie 7 on 14 off or something like that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted February 13, 2012 Moderator Share Posted February 13, 2012 I work all nights and pretty much keep the same schedule on my days off. I don't need a lot of sleep which helps. I sleep when the kids are at school and when they are home and awake so am I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsquirrel Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Technically, I work rotating 12 hour days/nights (36 hrs/week). I found rotating so hard on me that I made an under-the-table agreement with another medic and our scheduler that I would work all nights and she could work all days. I don't mind the 12 hour nights at all, the 12 hour days are fine, I used to work 24s and those were fine too, but rotating KILLED me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAAdmission Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Shift work is pretty bad - like perpetual jet-lag. I think I even recall studies linking it to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I'll put in my 2 cents as I've worked these schedules, albeit as a CNA. Working three 12's is great. However, that first day off, you will be dragging big time. It is more or less a day to catch up on sleep and errands. It's hard to feel like yourself. But then those next 3 days, it's just like having a long weekend, energy, fun times, you name it. Short vacations, etc. I currently do 12 hour shifts Fri-Sat-Sun every single week(end). I've done this for years. I don't mind giving up the weekends as I can still go out on weekend nights if I really want to, however I do have to make sure I make it home in time to get at least 4 hours of sleep and wake up sober for work the next day. However, it is doable. I enjoy having my weekdays to focus on school (except Friday, of course). Now rotating between nights and days, it's hell. No fun at all. You will turn into an insomniac. Your personal life will suffer. You start to feel "numb" and you will get tired but become incompletely incapable of sleeping. It's like being half asleep and half awake all the time. As soon as your body begins to even slightly adjust to any schedule, bam, your schedule changes again. It's awful, honestly. It can be done if you have a good enough reason (money, family, whatever). But it's not something you should do for the hell of it. Even for a great job, IMO it's probably not worth it. It's a big hit to quality of life. Hope this helps you in your decision, sounds like an enticing job minus the schedule. Even working 2 overnight shifts out of the month and the rest days is pretty nasty. It really does a number to your life and health. But 12's - love it. I used to work at a hospital where I did two 16 hour shifts Sat/Sun and on Tuesday I'd do an 8 hour shift. Loooooved it. Trust me, if you can be at work for 8 hours, you might as well do 12. And if you can do 12, hell, you can handle 16. Having the rest of the week totally free is a lovely thing indeed. Working weekends is an adjustment, but anyone can do it, just takes a little getting used to your friends spending the day relaxing while you're at work. But while they are dragging through the week praying for Friday, you're at home relaxing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cideous Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I work 12's now and they are good unless you have very small kids that are in bed early. If that's the case you never see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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