Nurse Shift Schedule Calendar

Shift patterns for nurses

• 3 on 3 off Schedule6-day cycle, 42 h a week
• 2 on 2 off Schedule4-day cycle, 42 h a week
• 4 on 4 off Schedule8-day cycle, 42 h a week
• Pitman Schedule14-day cycle, 42 h a week
• Panama Schedule28-day cycle, 42 h a week

Three 12s or a rotation?

Many hospital nurses are hired for 36 hours a week: three 12-hour shifts, often on days they choose through self-scheduling. Others work a fixed rotation such as 3 on 3 off or 2 on 2 off, which averages 42 hours a week. Before you compare two jobs, check which one each post means: 3 on 3 off adds about 26 shifts a year.

The 8/80 overtime rule

Hospitals and residential care facilities can agree with their staff, before the work is done, to count overtime over a 14-day period instead of a week. Overtime is then due for hours over 8 in a workday and over 80 in the 14 days, at time and a half (29 CFR 778.601, section 7(j) of the FLSA). On 12-hour shifts that means 4 hours of overtime on every shift, so ask payroll whether you are on 8/80 or on the normal 40-hour workweek.

Weekends and holidays

Many units ask nurses to work a share of weekends and rotate the major holidays. Choose "All crews" to see which team has each weekend; US federal holidays are marked, so you can count the ones you work and compare them with your unit's holiday rotation.

Tips

• If you work three 12s a week on changing days, use "Build your own" and type one or two weeks of your rota.
• Choose "All crews" to see which team covers each day when you plan swaps.
• Share the link with your family so they see your days off without asking.
• In California, choose the California overtime rule in "Your pay": a 12-hour shift has 4 hours of overtime. Hospitals can adopt 12-hour alternative workweeks (IWC Wage Order 5): then pick that rule instead.
• In Alaska, hospital employees who provide medical services are exempt from daily overtime (AS 23.10.060(d)(12)).
• See your yearly hours and pay on the shift pay calculator.

Questions