Effect of shift work on working memory, attention and response time in nurses

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Neuroscience
• Nursing Research

Background:

• Shift work is prevalent in nursing, potentially impacting healthcare quality and safety.
• Cognitive functions are crucial for safe and effective nursing practice.
• Understanding the cognitive effects of different shift types is essential for nurse well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between shift work and cognitive performance in female nurses.
• To assess changes in working memory, response time, and attention across different shifts.

Main Methods:

• A before-after study involving 35 female nurses (ages 25-40) with comparable workloads.
• Cognitive assessments (Wechsler and Stroop tests) conducted pre- and post-shift (morning, afternoon, night).
• Repeated-measures ANOVA used for data analysis, with a 3-day interval to mitigate learning effects.

Main Results:

• Significant decreases in working memory and attention (interference score) were observed post-shift (p=0.039, p=0.04).
• Response time was not significantly affected by shift work.
• Working memory decline was substantially greater after night shifts compared to morning and evening shifts (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Shift work demonstrably impairs specific cognitive functions in nurses, including working memory and attention.
• Night shifts pose a greater risk to nurses' cognitive performance, particularly working memory.
• Findings underscore the need for strategies to mitigate the cognitive impact of shift work on nursing staff.