What type a shift you work?

[smurfe]

Hi all, just sitting here feeling bummed and old. Got to start my month of night shifts tonight. Was wondering what everyone worked. I work a rotating schedule. Month of days, then a month of nights, so on and so on with 12 hour shifts. We also rotate stations monthly so you don't get stuck at the busy ones ALL the time. We do 2 weeks days and 2 weeks nights at each station. Guess it is a fair schedule for everyone, but sure is hard on an old mans system. Later all

Smurfe:D

[swrr88]

That is a rough one buddy. I have had a lot of friends work something like that.

We currently have a small amount of choice in the EMS schedules. Most of us ( placed in 4 shifts) work 2 days, 2 nights 12hr shifts(6 to 6 either way) followed by four days off. Some work 2 on 2 off either all days or all nights but still 12s. Then a few work 14 hr shifts 3 set days a week. If a 4 on 4 off guy doesn't like days and nights then he/she can get together with someone else and trade off their schedule so they can do all four as either days or nights.

Some people like days and some like nights. I feel if its you thing then stay there. I like the 2D/2N schedule. Its really not long enough to get too adjusted to either. If I had to pull more shifts in a row then I would probably not like the combination. It works for us now. The system is able to manage the "static" 24 hr trucks and the on/off "workload" trucks with the staffing.

As for station assignments, you can bid to a "static" station with a partner for up to 6 months at time. If that's not your thing then you can just ask to be classified as a traveler. All that means is you are always moving. You may work a whole rotation on the same truck but usually you will move atleast a couple times in a 4 day stint. I personally love that. I never get stuck somewhere I don't want to be, and you can still "travel" with a partner if you bid together.

This is all by memory since I am still working a daylight, office schedule as I continue to recover from a very rough car accident last March. BUT someday I'll get to go back to my wonderful rotating schedule.

[C2001UMedic]

In the hospital ED where I work full time, we schedule ourselves for the days that we want to work. All that is required is that we work 3 shifts a week. Shifts are 0800-2000 and 2000-0800. You are assigned to be a day or night Medic, but if needed, we can switch shifts as approved my the nurse manager. I also work part time for a private service and shifts are scheduled by squads. There is always a 24 hour squad 0700-0700 and a 22 hour squad 0900-0700 in service.

[firefly1361]

When I was on the critical care medic unit I worked. Two 12 hr day shifts then two 12hr night shifts then I had four days off. Now that I work in dispatch I work Tuesday,Thursday, every other Friday and Saturday from 0600-1900.


Heather Helm
FF/EMT-B
Carroll Co Station 13
Maryland

[IAMedic]

We have to work 3 (12's) per week and 3 (12's) on-call. We get a choice to fill in days we want, then the other days are "wrote in" by shift manager. But, it usually goes something like this; 12 worked (6a-6p) and 12 hours on-call (6p-6a), 12 worked (6a-6p) and 12 hours on-call (6p-6a), 12 worked (6a-6p) and 12 hours on-call (6p-6a). Then we usually have 4 days off. I don't like nights unless I have to work them. We are lucky to have people fighting for nights, so it makes it easier on everybody.

[shammrock54]

I usually try and get a 24 and a 16, but take 8,10, or 12. But since i dont have a set shift i have to take whats open.

[MedEvac]

24 hours shifts (0700-0700 hrs) done on helicopter. Critical Care/ALS ground shifts are 12 hrs with start times varying.

[hageremtp]

24's here. We work (normally) 24-off-off-24-off-off-24. We get paid for 12's and then get min. wage for 12 hrs of sleep time, unless its less than 5 hours (and thats less than 5 straight hours) then paid for it all.

[firedude8]

The company i work for has 12 hr shifts as well as 24 static shifts tues thurs and so forth they also have a 3-4 rotation 24off24off24 then off for 4 days and i work the 5-6 rotation 24off24off24off24off24off and then 6 days off i love it get alot of overtime built in to you schedule and you only work 10 days a month. it the best especially for a young kid like me

[medicmaster64]

we work 24 on 72 off..... 1 day on , off 3..... 7 days per month

[smurfe]

we work 24 on 72 off..... 1 day on , off 3..... 7 days per month

Damn, that is the schedule I need! :D

Smurfe:D

[RoryEl]

on the box it's 24 on and 48 off, and in the ER its 12 hr shifts 7a- 7p, or 7p to 7a. I work 7a-7p

[KnatMedic32]

We work (2) 10 hour dayworks 8am-6pm, then (2) 14 hour nightworks 6pm-8am, followed by 4 days off.

[firemedicbaz]

I have worked several different schedules over my career. Seems that everytime I change departments I changes schedules. I have worked the 24 off 24 off 24 off three days. I have worked the 24 on 48 off rotation. The company I work for now the fulltime guys are working 24 off 24 off 24 off four days. Now that I am a dispatcher I am working 12 hour shifts (work mon,tues,fri,sat,sun - week two work wed,thurs) having a full weekend off. It is nice to have the whole weekend off every other week, but the weekends you work can seem a little long on sunday evening. Take Care and Be Safe Out There... :cool:

[sts060]

In Montgomery County, MD (fire-based EMS), career FFs (all must be EMT-B at least) work 24 on, 48 off. At my FD (I'm volunteer) we have one weeknight shift (1700-0700) and at least one weekend 12-hour shift per month.

I have observed that the career captains seem to rotate crews on/off the BLS and ALS units during a shift, e.g., 12 hrs on fire/rescue and 12 hrs on EMS. But I'm hardly the official source for that...

[PuffyNPFD]

On my Fire Dept. I work 2-10 hr. days then 2-14 hr. nights then 4 days off. for an average of 42 hrs. a week.

[cnymedic]

At my commercial EMS service, full-timers wortk 24/48's. That boils down to 24 hrs on-duty (0600-0600), and 2 days off. Since we only end up working 8 days a month, we are required to do a 12 hour on-call shift every week. Part-timers eat up whatever hours they can.

[nremtp78]

After reading these threads, I envy most of you. We work pretty much whenever the boss schedules us. Schedules are posted one month at a time by the 15th of the previous month.