Shift Work Disorder in Nursing: Causes, Effects, and Solutions

This report delves into the pervasive issue of shift work disorder (SWD) among nurses, highlighting the detrimental effects of irregular work schedules on their health and well-being. The introduction sets the stage by acknowledging the increasing prevalence of workaholism and its associated health risks, such as insomnia, anxiety, and fatigue. The main body explores the various types of disorders that arise from prolonged or changing shifts, including circadian sleep disorders, which disrupt the body's natural day-night cycle. The report emphasizes the impact of night shifts on nurses, disrupting melatonin production and potentially leading to metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. It also discusses the use of instruments like the Bergen Insomnia Scale and Epworth Sleepiness Scale to assess and diagnose SWD. The conclusion reinforces the significance of epidemiological studies in understanding the disorder and suggests that factors like gender, age, and working hours are linked to the prevalence of SWD. The report underscores the need for awareness and proactive measures to mitigate the adverse effects of shift work on nurses' health, providing a comprehensive overview of the challenges and potential solutions in this critical field.

Nurses and Shift Disorder

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
In current scenario, where people are more workaholics to given their round clock performance
and works more than their prospective schedule which includess giving extra hours in office in
order to givedemonstrate their best output which results in severely affected health issues to them
in the form of insomnia, anxiety/depression, fatigue, sleep problem, digestive problem etc.
Individuals are different regrading in terms of handling the work pressure which
makes them to do shift work which ultimately eaffects their health and causing disorder.
Awareness of such system is necessary to implement shift work according the employees,
monthly medical check-up and employee routine should be managed.
MAIN BODY
Shift disorder is compriseding of various type of diseases which are developed because of
loingger ering shift or change in shifts of an individual. Due to night shift aa person may develop
Circadian sleep disorder which may results in insomnia or feeling of sleepiness during work. The
shifts largely impacts the heath iif nurses are working onin health and social care sector. Nurses
are working in the day and night shifts which interferes with the natural day- night cycle of a
body. The change in shifts may leads to changes in the biological functioning of a body or alters
with the lifestyle change. Both will result in increased sleepiness at the workplace. Nurses are
facing problem in their sleeping habits, and this is affecting the Circadian rhythm of body.
The Circadian rhythm of a body is defined as the day and night balance and its
functioning related with the night and day period. The Circadian rhythm is affected by the shift
works of the nurses who are working onin late night shifts. Lightening characteristic of day
affects the natural functioning of body. If the body is not awake in the day then this will affect
the daytime activities of the body to the large extent (Zee and Goldstein, 2010). Melatonin is
produced in the night by pineal during sleep. If a nurse is working oin the night shift, then boy is
not getting a stimulus of the night as nurses areis working in lights which affects the natural
production level of melatonin in body. This may also leads to the development of cancer in a
body. The interruption in the circadian rhythm of body may also cause metabolic disorder, in the
sure body which may result in indigestion or lower metabolic rate etc. Due to rotatory shifts in
nurse profession work she may develop sugar problemdiabetes or the cardiovascular disease
even may develop cancer in body. So, it is important that individual should sleep for an an
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appropriate time period in order to maintaining the normal functioning of body. (Instruments
such as Bergen Insomnia Scale which helps to calculate a level of insomnia in an individual. It
includes six items along with eight pointy of scale. If its scores 3 or more on than that, it means
that person is suffering from insomnia.)
Insomnia is the disease when the person is interrupted sleeping cycle. Insomnia,
Excessive Sleepiness, Excessive Fatigue and anxiety and depression are the some of the
consequences to the shift worker nurses who are geet8ing less than 11 hours of rest because of
their longer period of shift, the body of nurse do not get appropriate sleep which will results in
increased depression and stress to person (Boivin, and Boudreau, 2014). The insomnia is also
caused because of shift work of a nurse. Other instruments such as Epworth Sleepiness Scale
consist of 8 items which is to be asked by an individual which may defines every possible reason
to fall asleep or dizzy during the work hours. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale consist of
14 items measuring non-vegetative symptoms of an organizsation. Global Sleep Assessment
Questionnaire is a tool which distinguishes between different types of sleep disorders on the
basis of 'never', 'sometimes', 'usually, and 'always' (Zhao, Bogossian and Turner, 2012). Fatigue
Questionnaire is tool which have 11 items scored on Four pointy likert scale to analyse the
physical and the mental fatigue of an individual. These are some of the instruments used by the
researchers in order to analyse the SWD in the nurses.
CONCLUSION
In such epidemiological studies, we refer to do three symptom- based questions which are quite
sufficient in assessing such types of shift work disorder. According to the census, it has been
found out that one- fourth of the nurses are dealing with this disorder which hashave a direct link
with theirwith their gender, age , working hour, clockwise rotational night shifts etc.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Figueiro, M. G & White, R. D. (2013). Health consequences of shift work and implications for
structural design. Journal of Perinatology. 33. S17-23.
Thompson, B. J & et. al., (2016). The impact of a rigorous multiple work shift schedule and day
versus night shift work on reaction time and balance performance in female nurses: A
repeated measures study. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 58(7).
737-743.
Zee, P. C. and Goldstein, C. A., 2010. Treatment of shift work disorder and jet lag. Current
treatment options in neurology. 12(5). pp.396-411.
Boivin, D. B. and Boudreau, P., 2014. Impacts of shift work on sleep and circadian rhythms.
Pathologie Biologie. 62(5). pp.292-301.
Zhao, I., Bogossian, F. and Turner, C., 2012. The effects of shift work and interaction between
shift work and overweight/obesity on low back pain in nurses: results from a
longitudinal study. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine. 54(7). pp.820-
825.
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