Hormonal Secretion of Nurses Engaged in Fast-rotating Shift Systems

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Occupational Health
• Chronobiology

Background:

• Shift work is prevalent in healthcare, particularly in intensive care units.
• Nurses often work fast-rotating shifts, including consecutive night shifts.
• Disruptions to circadian rhythms can impact hormonal balance and overall health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of fast-rotating shift systems on hormonal patterns in female nurses.
• To assess the effects of morning, afternoon, and night shifts on specific hormone levels.
• To differentiate between immediate and adaptive hormonal responses to shift work.

Main Methods:

• Ten young female nurses in an intensive care unit participated.
• Plasma cortisol, prolactin, and growth hormone were measured during morning, afternoon, and night shifts.
• Urinary excretion of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), adrenaline, and noradrenaline was determined across shifts.

Main Results:

• Hormones sensitive to external factors (catecholamines, prolactin, growth hormone) exhibited immediate responses during night shifts, indicating a masking effect.
• Hormones with stronger internal regulation (cortisol, melatonin) maintained more stable patterns.
• A partial adjustment of cortisol levels was observed during the second night shift.

Conclusions:

• Fast-rotating shift work significantly disturbs hormonal patterns in nurses.
• The type of hormone influences its response to shift work, with some showing immediate masking effects and others greater stability.
• While some hormonal adaptation may occur, night shifts pose a considerable challenge to maintaining normal physiological rhythms.