There has been extensive data provided about the effects of intensive working hours among employees in the medical field. It is such factors that have made the recognition of possible burnout a reality. In the recent times, the 12-hour shifts in the nursing field have become a common practice in various health institutions. However, it is highly discouraged to extend the hours to more than that. The quality of care, job attrition, and burn out are possible outcomes for the workers (Mendes, & Martino, 2012). There are potential adverse effects of sleep deprivation some acute and others chronic as will be discussed below.
Numerous states have set up regulations that prevent nurses among other medical workers from taking up shifts longer than 12 hours in a day. However, many of the hospitals and workers themselves continue to violate this practice. One of the major concerns of this occurrence is the decreased performance and alertness in the workplace. It is evident that the work of a nurse is quite sensitive as it involves taking care of the life of another human being. However, with sleeping schedules of 5.7 and 5.2 hours in a day for day and night shift workers respectively, it is nearly impossible to achieve this feat. The employees are likely to experience a reduction in alertness by nearly 32% which risks the safety of the patient.
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The continued practice of poor sleeping habits among nursing professionals could be detrimental to their overall health. Research by Eanes (2015), shows that chronic sleep deprivation among nurses makes them prone to chronic illnesses like obesity and high blood pressure (Touitou, Reinberg, & Touitou, 2017). In this regard, the individual health of the professional is at risk as the body does not have enough rest from the overburdening tasks of the job. The workers should develop effective measures to ensure they are capable of maximizing quantity and quality of sleep.
References
Eanes, L. (2015). The potential effects of sleep loss on a nurse's health. American Journal of Nursing, 115 (4), 34-40. doi:10.1097/01.NAJ.0000463025.42388.10
Mendes, S. S., & Martino, M. M. F. D. (2012). Shift work: overall health state related to sleep in nursing workers. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 46 (6), 1471-1476.
Touitou, Y., Reinberg, A., & Touitou, D. (2017). Association between light at night, melatonin secretion, sleep deprivation, and the internal clock: Health impacts and mechanisms of circadian disruption. Life Sciences, 173 , 94-106.
