Perceived sleep quality: a comparison between hospital nurses and student nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Sleep Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Poor sleep quality is prevalent among nurses, impacting their physical, psychological, and organizational well-being.
• There is a lack of evidence on effective sleep practices for student nurses to prevent poor sleep during their transition into the workforce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the prevalence and quality of sleep between hospital nurses and student nurses in Brunei.
• To identify factors associated with poor sleep quality in the nursing population.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 130 hospital nurses and 130 student nurses in Brunei.
• Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
• Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to identify predictors of poor sleep quality.

Main Results:

• Hospital nurses were 4.29 times more likely to experience poor sleep compared to student nurses.
• Overweight individuals were 2.35 times more likely to have poor sleep quality than those with a healthy weight.
• While student nurses had better sleep latency, they reported more sleep disturbances, shorter sleep duration, and lower sleep efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The prevalence of poor sleep quality among nurses in Brunei exceeds global estimates.
• Nursing leaders, educators, and policymakers should develop strategies to promote healthy work schedules and rosters that minimize circadian disruption for nurses.
• Equipping student nurses with good sleep practices is crucial to mitigate poor sleep as they enter the nursing profession.