If you work 12 hour shifts, come and tell me about your work/life balance

burntoutnurse · 2023-10-16T11:21:10+00:00

12/13 hour shifts as a nurse, mostly nights. I worked Friday and Saturday night, I am back in tues and wed nights, then sat night again, Today I have lots to go, didn't want to stay in bed wasting the day away but I am exhausted and feeling crappy! Friday I have plans to grocery shop, collect something from a friends. But that's my only other full day off this week!

MatthewsMumFromTikTok · 16/10/2023 13:10

Short power naps here and there help me

CharlotteRose90 · 16/10/2023 13:24

I do 12 hour shifts on a 3 on 3 off pattern. It works for me. I can do what I need to and catch up on sleep on my first day off. Then my other 2 days are mine.

Twistyripple · 16/10/2023 13:32

On my last night shift I always try and sleep in the morning but force myself to get up at midday and then just have an early-ish night that evening. Means you get out of the "nights" routine a lot quicker.
Is there any way you could work less nights? I work FT for NHS so works out at 3 x 12hours a week plus an additional half shift each month to make up the hours to 37.5 weekly.
I do a mix of nights and days and try make it work for me by spreading them out. For example days off Mon, Tues, Weds, Thurs then works Fri, Sat, Sun. Followed by Mon, Tues, Weds night then the rest of the week off. Yeah it takes some juggling but means I have a decent amount of time off too.

Original poster

burntoutnurse · 16/10/2023 15:14

I do the odd day shift but childcare is easier on nights, I've been trying to get my shifts grouped together for a while but management aren't really helpful! So I'm constantly in and out all the time and I'm only 30 hours, so one week I'm 3x12 the next I'm 2x12 but if they rota them apart it doesn't help! I'm constantly exhausted! And peri menopausal so my sleep is a struggle atm anyway! I can't afford to drop my hours further just yet!

OP posts:

dontgobaconmyheart · 16/10/2023 15:26

DP does, to be honest I don't think there is much balance. As you'd expect he's often tired and most 'spare' time or days off end up as a catch up of whatever it is that's been missed or not done because he has been busy with work.

Unfortunately, currently there's no scope for change and it's pretty standard for his industry anyway so switching locations etc would likely be roughly the same situation. I just try to remind him to get as much sleep as he can and get out of the house as much as possible when we have time together so it feels like we did something.

Snowdropcow · 16/10/2023 15:39

I worked on a ward with self rostering which was lovely. Worked only week days and would often work my shifts out to give myself a week off randomly. I also regularly picked up bank shift on weekends for the money. Work life balance was ok, my shift pattern was great but the work incredibly stressful.

Moved trust and my shifts looked like they were done by someone drunk. Constantly flipping between days and nights. The shifts weren’t stressful but my work life balance was non existent. No one listened either.

Left that job for a Mon-Fri band 6 in the ivory towers. I work from home regularly and my hours are very flexible. Treated a lot better too. My work life balance is amazing now. I don’t think you realise the stress of 12 hour shifts until you leave them behind. I say this as someone who was adamant a few years ago I could never do 5 days a week!!