Nurses sleep nearly 90 minutes less before work days compared to days off, and this can negatively affect patient care and safety, according to a study by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing.
Researchers examined results of separate surveys conducted in 2015 and 2016, analyzing responses from nearly 1,600 nurses regarding personal sleep habits and quality of patient care. Nurses reported sleeping an average of six hours, 54 minutes on nights before scheduled work shifts and eight hours, 17 minutes of sleep before non-work days — a difference of 83 minutes.
Further, getting less sleep was associated with lower measures of patient safety and quality of care, a finding that researchers say isn’t surprising, as ongoing research indicates that shift work takes a toll on circadian rhythms and can impair workers’ performance.
To help nurses get the rest they need, healthcare leaders can use evidence-based scheduling strategies, limit the use of overtime, and provide professional development on the importance of sleep for nurses, the study suggests.
“It is in everyone’s interest to have nurses well-rested so they can perform their critical function within the healthcare system and keep patients safe,” said Christine Kovner, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, a professor of geriatric nursing at NYU and the study’s coauthor.
Findings were published in the journal Sleep Health.
From the February 2020 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
