This posting addresses the benefits of 8-hour nursing shifts. Implementing mandatory 8hour nursing shifts can have a huge impact on nursing care and safety. 8-hour shifts reduce the
amount of stress on the nurse, but more importantly it reduces errors when caring for patients.
However, 12-hour shifts have become increasingly common in hospitals and have become
controversial in their affect on patient care. Nurses working a 12-hour shift are more likely to be
stressed and ‘burned out’ putting patients and themselves at high risk for harm.
"Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization of patients, and
feelings of lack of personal accomplishment by caregivers, which could negatively affect nurse
job satisfaction and voluntary turnover" (Stimpfel, Sloane, & Aiken, 2012). Feelings of work
burnout can cause nurses to have a sense of job dissatisfaction, which in turn, negatively affects
the quality of care provided. Patient satisfaction is also affected by the care provided by nurses
working 12-hour shifts. Patients report less satisfaction and an overall sense of worse care when
provided by nurses working 12-hour shifts (Stimpfel, Sloane, & Aiken, 2012). Nurses working
8-hour shifts are able to provide safer, more accurate, and efficient care to patients, creating an
increased sense of patient satisfaction.
Nurses have an important responsibility advocating for their patients and providing them
with the best care possible. Giving nurses adequate rest in between shifts will have a great
impact on achieving this. Working 12-hours is exhausting and can lead to potentially dangerous
medical errors. As explained by Rogers et al., "…extended work periods are associated with
increased accidents and neuropsychological deficits among nurses and have contributed to at
least 2 hospital wide epidemics of Staphylococcus Aurous. Investigations of these epidemics
show that nurses, who were fatigued and stressed by high patient case loads and understaffing,
made frequent mistakes and procedural errors" (Rogers et al., 2004). Other reasons such as lack
of staffing increases the patient load per nurse resulting in further potential harm to nurse and her
patients.
Working 12-hour shifts often produces a hectic, fast paced environment that can provide
little opportunity for the nurse to rest and recuperate. This puts the nurse at risk for developing
his/her own medical conditions. Rogers states…"extended shifts have been associated with
increased musculoskeletal injuries, more cardiovascular symptoms, the development of
hypertension, and higher risks for injury (Rogers, 2008). Excessive fatigue from longer shifts can
also lead to a higher risk of motor vehicle accidents. In one study…"critical care nurses reported
difficulties remaining awake driving home after working 12.5 consecutive hours or more
approximately once out every three shifts they worked” (Rogers, 2008).
In conclusion, the benefits of 8-hour shifts include safe patient care and healthier
outcomes for the nurse. In order to provide safe care to patients, nurses first must be awake,
alert, and oriented to their surroundings. Working less hours a day but more frequently will
provide the nurse with adequate rest, commute and family time. Eliminating the feeling of being
rushed will allow for better treatment of a patient as a whole. An institution that rewards and
prides themselves on patient care will benefit as well, in providing excellent patient care.
Authors: Agata Jamroz, Amma Korsah, Aleksandra Novik, Roshni Patel, Tejal Patel
References
Rogers, A. E., Hwang, W. T., Scott, L. D., Aiken, L. H., & Dinges, D. F. (2004). The Working
Hours of Hospital Staff Nurses and Patient Safety. Health Affairs, 23(4), 202-212.
Rogers, A. E. (2008). Chapter 40: The Effects of Fatigue and Sleepiness on Nurse Performance
and Patient Safety. In Patient safety and quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses.
Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Dept. of Health and
Human Services.
Stimpfel, A. W., Sloane, D. M., & Aiken, L. H. (2012). The Longer The Shifts For Hospital
Nurses, The Higher The Levels Of Burnout And Patient Dissatisfaction. Health
Affairs,31(11), 2501-2509.