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Can Nurses Self-Assess Fatigue?: Implications for Nurse Leaders
Karen R Cochran1, Susan A Letvak, Thomas P McCoy
1Author Affiliations : Grant Specialist (Dr Cochran), School of Nursing, Western Carolina University, Asheville, North Carolina; and Professor (Dr Letvak), Clinical Professor (Dr McCoy), and Assistant Professor (Dr Bacon), School of Nursing, and Associate Professor (Dr Karper), Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Many nurses struggle to accurately assess their fatigue, highlighting the need for workplace interventions. Nurses are open to strategies that reduce fatigue and improve patient care.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Occupational Health
- Patient Safety
Background:
- Nursing profession inherently carries a high risk of fatigue.
- High prevalence of fatigue reported among US nurses (75%-80%).
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe nurses' self-perceptions of fatigue.
- To examine nurses' acceptance of fatigue countermeasures.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive, cross-sectional correlational study.
- Survey administered to 279 nurses.
Main Results:
- Nearly half of nurses (46%) cannot accurately self-assess fatigue.
- Nurses showed acceptance of various workplace fatigue reduction strategies.
Conclusions:
- Self-assessment of fatigue by nurses may be unreliable for patient care decisions.
- Development of reliable workplace fatigue assessment methods is crucial.
- Nurse leaders should implement fatigue-alleviating strategies to enhance patient care quality.
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