How Many Hours are too many?

How Many Hours are too many? Most nurses have worked 12 hour shifts, and occasionally 16 hour shifts, so where should the line be drawn? How many is too many? 12 Hour Shifts Many nurses work 12 hour shifts, and most have no problem in doing so. The shifts are usually 3 days per week, allowing for 4 complete off days. For most nurses, that works out great, however not everyone is the same. Some people find that 12 hours is too many continuous hours, and they prefer a shift schedule of 8. The important factor is, each individual should have a comfort level in the hours they work. Related: Where do Nurses Work? Statistics On Working Hours Studies have been conducted on the nursing profession in regards to hours worked, and the results were not what was anticipated. Prior to 2010, the American Medical Association recommended Nurses should work 8 hour shifts, and only in emergencies should they work 12 hours. Of course their advice was not well received by nurses, and in fact was ignored by hospitals that employ nurses. It's difficult to keep a full nursing staff, and there is no question, the more accommodating the employer is to the hired Nurse, the more likely they are to stay. The study set out to prove that response or reaction times dropped significantly from those working 8 hours, to those working 12 hours. The study conducted in 2010 indicated the following;  Response/reaction time after 8 hours – 12 seconds (100 nurses volunteered to be tested for all tests)  Response/reaction time after 12 hours – 12 seconds.  Response/reaction time after 16 hours – 19 seconds It appears pretty obvious that the 16 hour test indicated a slower response time, however, there was no difference between 8 and 12. That being said, the fact is, some people do just fine working 12 hours, while another may reach the work overload point at 8-9 hours. 16 hours on occasion may not be too much, however 16 hours on a regular basis is too much for such a critical job. A 16 Hour Shift Betty had worked in nursing for 22 years, and planned to work another 15 years before retiring. She had been promoted to head Nurse in ICU at a major hospital, and not only loved, her job, but was great at her job and had received numerous awards over the years. Recently there had been a shortage of nurses, and the impact was felt by all the working nurses. For the third day in a row, Betty was working a 16 hour shift. Betty had two

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