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New graduate nurses adaptation to shift work: can we help?
Sandra H West1, Maureen Ahern, Margot Byrnes
1Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Sydney, New South Wales. swest@nursing.usyd.edu.au
Collegian (Royal College of Nursing, Australia)
|February 14, 2007
Summary
New graduate nurses (NGNs) experience significant sleep and health disruptions due to shift work. While some adaptation occurs over twelve months, ongoing issues like social dysfunction and burnout persist, highlighting the need for better preparation and organizational changes.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Occupational Health
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Shift work disrupts circadian rhythms, impacting psychobiology and potentially contributing to new graduate nurses (NGNs) attrition.
- NGNs face a dual challenge of adapting to healthcare systems and shift work schedules.
- The long-term adaptation of NGNs to the effects of shift work remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the adaptation process of NGNs to shift work over their initial twelve months of clinical practice.
- To investigate the impact of shift work on general health, sleep, fatigue, job satisfaction, burnout, and coping mechanisms in NGNs.
- To identify factors influencing NGN adaptation to shift work.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal, questionnaire-based study was conducted with 150 final-year undergraduate nursing students.
- Data were collected over the initial twelve months of clinical practice as NGNs.
- Correlational analysis was used to examine relationships between variables such as sleep, fatigue, burnout, job satisfaction, and social dysfunction.
Main Results:
- Shift work initially caused significant sleep disturbances and affected other variables related to individual and situational differences.
- Some adaptation to shift work was observed by the twelve-month mark.
- Social dysfunction remained significantly associated with burnout, job satisfaction, sleep disturbance, and life disruption at twelve months.
- Pre-existing depression was linked to persistent sleep disruption and increased emotional exhaustion throughout the study period.
Conclusions:
- While some adaptation to shift work occurs in NGNs within the first year, significant challenges related to sleep, burnout, and job satisfaction persist.
- Social dysfunction is a key factor linked to negative outcomes in NGNs working shifts.
- Further research is needed to fully understand shift work's impact on NGN burnout and job satisfaction.
- Improved preparation for shift work and organizational adjustments in nursing shift scheduling are recommended to support NGN adaptation.
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