Fatigue Among ICU Nurses and Its Influencing Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Nursing Science
• Physiology

Background:

• Nurse fatigue is a growing global issue, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs), exacerbated by staffing shortages.
• Effective fatigue assessment is vital for occupational health management and reducing nurse turnover.
• Previous research often overlooked objective physiological measures, relying heavily on subjective self-reports.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess fatigue levels in ICU nurses.
• To identify factors influencing fatigue among ICU nurses.
• To provide data for developing targeted interventions.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 140 ICU nurses across two Beijing hospitals from March to June 2025.
• Data collection included questionnaires and physiological monitoring (heart rate variability, salivary cortisol).
• Assessed demographic characteristics, fatigue, sleep-wake index, and physiological markers.

Main Results:

• 92.9% of ICU nurses reported clinically significant fatigue, with average scores exceeding cut-offs.
• For 8-h shifts, fatigue predictors included heart rate, low-frequency heart rate variability, sleep time, circadian rhythm, and post-shift cortisol.
• For 12-h shifts, predictors included nervous system balance, sleep time, circadian rhythm, pre-shift cortisol, and experience.

Conclusions:

• High fatigue levels in ICU nurses correlate with sleep disruption, impaired self-regulation, and occupational stress.
• Interventions must be customized based on shift patterns to effectively combat nurse fatigue.
• Identifying fatigue predictors supports developing targeted strategies to optimize work schedules and enhance patient care quality.