Interest in 12-hour nursing shifts has been renewed in response to dem
ands for improved cost-effectiveness in the UK National Health Service
. But the effects of the shift on nursing education are unclear. We re
port surveys of the attitudes of student nurses and nurse educators to
wards 12-hour shifts. Learners are reasonably positive about 12-hour s
hifts, but this preference is based on social rather than professional
benefits. A reported effect of fatigue on home study is evident. Very
negative views about the 12-hour shift are held by the group of educa
tors. Their criticisms appear to be primarily organizational, but they
are unequivocal that learning is detrimentally affected. Thus, even i
f students appear to like this shift pattern, serious concerns are rai
sed by these findings about the impact of the shift on nursing educati
on.