ABSTRACT

Background: Night shift nurse fatigue continues to be a cause of concern to the health care profession. About 20% of all workers in the United States participate in shift work and nurses participating in shift work in the United States typically work 36-40 hours in a given week. More than 50% of nurses receive less than the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep. This lack of sleep increases the risk for medication errors and negatively affects the body. Despite there being strategies to manage and reduce night shift nurse fatigue, they are not being fully utilized by health care associations and nurses.

Objectives: The purpose of the evidenced-based presentation is to teach nurses how fatigue and sleep deprivation negatively affect the body and to introduce strategies to help manage and reduce it.

Methods: A pre- and post-intervention including multiple choice, true/false, and a five-point Likert scale questionnaire adapted from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) assesses nurses’ knowledge on the issue and strategies to manage and reduce fatigue during a night shift. A poster presentation with strategies to manage and reduce night shift fatigue includes aromatherapy, exercise, napping, bright light therapy, and nutrition.

Results: The intended outcome is an increased level of nurses’ knowledge regarding ways to reduce night shift nurse fatigue. The secondary outcome is a decreased level of night shift nurse fatigue. If these outcomes occur, patient satisfaction will be improved due to a decrease in nursing errors, and hospitals will see an improvement in job satisfaction from night shift nurses due to them feeling more rested and up to date with strategies to manage and combat night shift fatigue.

Conclusion: Research has shown that educating nurses on ways to manage and reduce fatigue can decrease the level of night shift nurse fatigue, decrease errors, promote self-care, and self-healing.

Keywords: night shift, nurses, fatigue, sleep deprivation, medication errors, education, circadian rhythm, exercise, napping, aromatherapy, lighting, and nutrition.