3. Nurses working the night shift all too often
try to function on too little sleep, unaware
they are endangering others.
Often they are even more unaware that their
own health is at risk.
4. After to speaking with coworkers, I found
that some had concerns, but not enough
to make lifestyle changes at this time.
5. 56% of nurses are sleep deprived6
Increased risk of car accidents (responsible for
100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and
1,550 fatalities each year)4
Increased risk of medication errors (7,000 deaths
annually)2
Falling asleep on the job
Poor judgment
Poor quality of life
(chronic fatigue)
6. Circadium rhythm disturbance³
Increase in inflammatory markers¹
Increased risk of atherosclerosis in men and increase
in cholesterol in both men and women
Poor eating habits/physical inactivity8
Increased risk of breast and endometrial cancers7
7. Make sleep one of your top priorities
Be aware of increased risk factors
Be more pleasant to those around you
Adopt a healthier lifestyle.
8. Nurses more concerned
Somepossibly willing to make lifestyle
changes
Some now correlating current health
problems with possible relation to shift work
9. REFERENCES
¹Alireza, S., Khrsro, S., Omid, A., etal. (2011) Night work and inflammatory markers. Indian journal of occupational
and environmental medicine, 15(1) 38. Retrieved September 17, 2011 from
http://proquest.umi.com.libproxy.boisestate.edu/pqdweb?index=0&did=2404137171&srchmode=1&sid=1
&fmt=3&vinst=prod&vtype=pqd&rqt=309&vname=pqd&ts=1316401175&clientid=8813
²Anderson, P., & Townsend, T. (2010). Medication errors: don’t let them happen to you. American nurse today. Retrieved
October 15, 2011 from
http://www.americannursetoday.com/assets/0/434/436/440/6276/6334/6350/6356/8b8dac76-6061-
4521-8b43-d0928ef8de07.pdf
³Arendt, J. (2010) Shift work: coping with the biological clock. Occupational medicine, 60(1), 10-20. Retrieved September 18,
2011 from http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org.libproxy.boisestate.edu/content/60/1/10.full
4Breus, M. PhD. Chronic sleep deprivation may harm health. Sleep habits: more important than you think. Retrieved
October 20, 2011 from http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/important-sleep-habits
5Elovanio, M., Kivimaki, M., Puttones, S., et al. (2009) shift work in young adults and carotid artery intima
media thickness: the cardiovascular risk in young finns study. Atherosclerosis. 205(2), 608-
613. Retrieved September 18, 2011 from http://www.sciencedirect.com.libproxy.boisestate.edu
/science/article/pii/s0021915009000586
10. 6Johnson, A., Brown, K., & Weaver, M. (2010). Sleep deprivation and psychomotor performance among night
shift nurses. AAOHN journal, 58(4), 147-54. Retrieved September 17, 2011 from
http://proquest.umi.com.libproxy.boisestate.edu/pqdweb?index=1&did=202145681&srchmode=1
&sid=2&fmt=6&vinst=prod&vtype=pqd&rqt=309&vname=pqd&ts=1316401830&clientid=8813
7Poole, Elizabeth., Schernhammer, Eva S., & Tworoger, Shelley, S. (2011). Rotating night shift work and the risk of ovarian
cancer. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention 20,934. Retrieved September 17, 2011 from
http://cebp.aacrjournals.org.libproxy.boisestate.edu/content/20/5/934.full
8Wong, H., Wong, M., Wong, S., et al. (2010) The association between shift duty and abnormal eating behavior among nurses
working in a major hospital: a cross sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies . 47(8), 1021-1027. Retrieved
September 18, 2011 from http://www.sciencedirect.com.libproxy.boisestate.edu/science/article/pii/S0020748910000027
Editor's Notes
I know from personal experience that working night shift has caused me to suffer sleep deprivation, mostly due in part to family obligations. After talking to others, I know this is a common problem that is often ignored. It is imperative that we not only care for those around us, but ourselves as well. One way we can do this is ensuring we are getting enough rest.
I was unable to find statistics on the actual number of medication errors and deaths specifically related to fatigue, but a well rested nurse is more likely to intervene prior to an error actually reaching the patient. The actual number of medication errors that occur each year is unknown because many go unreported.
Our circadium rhythm regulates our sleep/wake cycle. Night shift workers are especially prone to this disturbance because we sleep during the day and stay up at night, which is abnormal for our bodies. Inflammatory markers increase with working night shift. This increases the risk of heart disease, GI disorders, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Night shift workers tend to have poorer eating habits, as well, further increasing the risks associated with increased inflammatory markers.
It’s hard to function on little sleep: don’t increase the risk of injury to yourself and others. If you’re having health issues, consider abnormal sleep/wake cycles related to working night shift as a possible cause. We all know lack of sleep can make someone irritable, making them unpleasant to be around. If you are a shift worker, you are not destined to have all these issues. Just know that it may take a little more effort on your part to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Make time for exercise, stick to a healthier diet, and of course, get enough sleep.
