I keep reading all the replys to the 24 hour issue. This is my first flight job, and we do 24 and 12 hour shifts as nurses the paramedics do 24, 8 and 16.
Our program encourages "safety naps" and also utilizing crew resource and having the ability to say if you are exhausted and cannot function at the required level, no matter what the time of day.
I have had 24 hour shifts where the day was quiet and starting at 5pm flew until 5am, yes I was tired, did have a 2 hour nap that day and I don't feel that my function level was any different than if I had come in for a night shift.
Sure there are issues that need to be looked into, however if you are working with a crew and in a program that truely believes safety first than I think the 24 hour shifts can work.
>From: Helodoc@aol.com
>Reply-To: flightmed@flightweb.com
>To: flightmed@flightweb.com
>Subject: Re: 24hour shifts
>Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 11:21:38 EDT
>
>In a message dated 10/14/01 07:16:56 Eastern Daylight Time,
>pedsrusscott@cs.com writes:
>
><< Greetings - our flight crew (flight nurses) are investigating the option
>of 24-hour shifts - the biggest concern involves the seemingly inevitable "no
>flights all day, then fly all night safety issues" - any programs that
>currently do 24's or have in the past & now don't, comments welcome
> thanx!
> Scott DeBoer RN,MSN,CFRN
> UCAN Flight Team
> University of Chicago Hospitals >>
>Scott-
>Just remember, if you miss that intubation in the 23rd hour of the shift and
>you have a bad outcome, just write the check. Don't bother with the defense
>- there is none.
>
>Dave Thomson
>
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