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Prevalence of sleep disturbances among intensive care nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Fengxiang Gong1, YuChen Mei1, Yuting He1
1College of Nursing, Shao Yang University, Shaoyang, China.
Background:
Demanding intensive care unit (ICU) work environments may lead to sleep disturbances in nurses, impacting their health and potentially patient safety. Yet, the prevalence remains unclear around the world.
Aim:
To quantify the prevalence of sleep disturbances in intensive care nurses.
Study Design:
Systematic review and meta-analysis. A database search was conducted in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and CINAHL from their inception to April 2024 for relevant studies. Data from observational studies (cross-sectional or cohort) that reported the prevalence of sleep disturbances, assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI > 5), pooled in random-effects meta-analyses. Subgroup analyses were used to investigate variations in the prevalence estimates in terms of available variables. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA)-compliant protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023476428).
Results:
In total, 24 articles were included in this study published from 1996 to 2023. Included studies were from 15 unique countries. Almost all of the studies were descriptive cross-sectional studies (n = 22; 91.7%). The included studies encompassed a range of intensive care nurses, from 42 to 605, involving a total of 3499 intensive care nurses. The reported proportion of intensive care nurses with sleep disturbances ranged from 20.0% to 100.0%, with a median of 76.7% (interquartile range: 62.9-85.7). The pooled prevalence of sleep disturbances in intensive care nurses was 75.1% (95% confidence interval: 37.2-53.1; 95% prediction interval: 30.5-95.4).
Conclusions:
Sleep disturbance is a common issue in intensive care nurses. The study results highlight the importance of implementing effective interventions as early as possible to improve ICU sleep quality.
Relevance To Clinical Practice:
High prevalence of sleep disturbances among intensive care nurses necessitates global interventions. Gender-neutral approaches that acknowledge comparable risks and stable prevalence over time require long-term strategies. Raising awareness through programmes is vital for implementing evidence-based interventions to promote sleep health in intensive care nurses.
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