Addressing Occupational Fatigue in Nurses: Current State of Fatigue Risk Management in Hospitals, Part 2.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Occupational Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Limited understanding of current fatigue risk management system (FRMS) implementation in nursing.
• Lack of adoption of national recommendations in nursing work systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the current state of FRMS implementation for nurse fatigue in hospitals.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to FRMS adoption.

Main Methods:

• Sequential exploratory mixed-methods design.
• Survey of nurse leaders across the United States.

Main Results:

• Variable and limited adoption of evidence-based policies for fatigue management.
• Nurse fatigue is recognized as a significant issue with negative consequences, but social norms hinder organizational change.
• Nurse leaders are critical for FRMS adoption and dissemination.

Conclusions:

• A framework for implementing FRMS as an innovation is proposed.
• Increasing organizational visibility of fatigue is a critical first step.
• Nurse leaders are essential for successful FRMS implementation.