Influences of shift work on fatigue among nurses

AIM: To compare the symptoms of fatigue and physiological indices in nurses who work during the day with nurses who work in shifts. METHOD: One-hundred and seven nurses were recruited and asked to assess their symptoms of fatigue before their work commenced and after it finished. RESULTS: Using logistic regression analysis adjusted for covariates, it was found that nurses who work in shifts were more fatigued than nurses who work during the day (odds ratio = 2.44, P < 0.10). There was a significant difference regarding critical flicker fusion in the two groups of nurses (P = 0.032), and nurses who work in shifts had poorer physiological indices than nurses who work during the day. CONCLUSION: It is clear that differing work schedules result in differing levels of fatigue, with shift work attributing to higher levels than day work. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers need to take into account the fatiguing effects of different work schedules when designing rostering patterns.