Shift Work: Effects on Health, Cognition, and Ethical Issues

This report explores the concept of shift work, defined as a work schedule operating 24/7, and its profound impact on health and well-being. It details the health effects, including increased risks of various disorders like heart attacks, sleep disorders, and cognitive effects such as increased accident rates. The report highlights ethical issues in professions like paramedics, emphasizing the importance of communication and coordination between shifts. It discusses issues such as health risks, sleep disorders, and the disruption of natural work patterns, impacting productivity and morale. Furthermore, the report references several studies and journals to support its findings, providing a comprehensive overview of the challenges and implications of shift work in various professional settings, including healthcare and emergency services. The report underscores the need for management strategies to mitigate these negative effects and improve worker well-being.

Poster Summary

Concept of Shift work
Shift work is considered as the practice of employment that is developed for
making use of or offer services around all 24 hours of clock and every day in a week. The
practice views the days that are categorized into shifts, set time period while several workers
carries out the duties. On other words the concept of shift work is kind of work schedule wherein
the workers group rotates through a stated time period across the day1. Under this specifically
particular kind of work is being carried out. It has been assessed that shift work is regarded as
most common technique within the production environment in which repetitive activities are
being carried out and the process of production takes place across the clock.
Manner in which shift work affects the health and well being
Shift work can be very disruptive towards the health and well being of the individual. In
the year 2008 National sleep foundation poll reflects that 63% of work schedule allows in getting
adequate sleep. They are more likely to sleep fewer in comparison with 6 hours on the working
days, to work for greater hours per week on an average2.
Effects of shift work
With the shift work there is presence of several effects. This is comprised of health and
cognitive effects.
Health effects: By the means of shiftwork there is increase in the risk associated with the
development of several disorders. With shift work there is enhancement in the risk towards
development of cluster headaches, heart attacks, fatigue stress, sexual dysfunction, obesity,
dementia as well as depression. The work that is being carried out in shift worse the chronic
diseases that is comprised of disorders in relation to sleep, digestive disease, hypertension,
mental disorders, substance, asthma as well as abuse as well as any other kind of health
conditions that can be treated with medications influenced by the circadian cycle. The health
consequences of the working in shifts is dependent on chronotype that presents being day or
night person what shifts is assigned to the workers. Various shift schedules have varied influence
on the health of employee who is working in shift3.
1 ? Hemiö K, Puttonen S, Viitasalo K, Härmä M, Peltonen M, Lindström J. Food and
nutrient intake among workers with different shift systems. Occupational and environmental
medicine. 2015 Apr 20:oemed-2014.
2 ? Roskoden FC, Krüger J, Vogt LJ, Gärtner S, Hannich HJ, Steveling A, Lerch MM,
Aghdassi AA. Physical Activity, Energy Expenditure, Nutritional Habits, Quality of Sleep and
Stress Levels in Shift-Working Health Care Personnel. PLOS ONE. 2017 Jan
12;12(1):e0169983.
3 ? Elliott JL, Lal S. Blood pressure, sleep quality and fatigue in shift working police
officers: Effects of a twelve hour roster system on cardiovascular and sleep health. International
journal of environmental research and public health. 2016 Jan 29;13(2):172.

Cognitive effects: In comparison with the day shift injuries as well as accidents have been
estimated to enhance by 15% on evening shifts and 28% in case of night shifts. It has been
assessed that longer shifts are attached with more injuries as well accidents.
It has been examined that people in paramedics needs to perform shift work as they are
required to work for 24 hours. The people working in health and professional council needs to
work in shifts so that management of work can be done in an effective manner. The ethical issues
in paramedic practice is that in case the person is performing in shift then he/ she needs to make
another person aware regarding the treatment that needs to be given to the patient. This can
otherwise affects the healthcare outcomes to agreater extent.
Issues
In addition to this, it can be stated that there are number of issues which need to be
referred by every business firm while having an application of shift working. One of key issue
which is faced by management is regarding health risk. It has been noticed that in shift working
the individuals are more focused towards diverse in-balance activities. It is because the shift
timing does not allow to take food on proper timing which create a negative impact over
individual health. Moreover, the issue in respect to the stomach problems because of irregular
diet habits. Along with this, issue in respect to the improper sleep is also being faced. It
influences the overall outcome and affects the health aspects. Such kind of values also impact the
working of business firms so management need to ensure about values effectively4.
However, the individual can also faces the issues in regard to sleep disorder. By having
an consideration of diverse methods the health standards need to be improved so that sleep
disorder issue can be overcome effectively. As shift work has become more widespread, the
health risks have become a focus for both employees as well as employer. It impacts the
satisfaction level and active work status so that management need to ensure about such values5.
By having an application of health standards in the work style such issues can be overcome in
desired manner. In addition to this, it can be said that health aspects are being affected on short
term as well as long term basis. It also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. It means the
issue in regard to heart diseases are being advanced. In shift working people are used to have
working in nights which impacts the daily routine. Productivity and work performance can suffer
for several reasons. Shift workers are less likely to sleep the full amount their bodies’ require,
and this can accumulate into a large “sleep debt” over time.
Shift work has continued to demonstrate adverse impact on the workers and it is
4 ? Attarchi M, Raeisi S, Namvar M, Golabadi M. Association between shift working and
musculoskeletal symptoms among nursing personnel. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery
research. 2014 Jan 6;19(3):309-14.
5 ? Karhula K, HÄRMÄ M, Sallinen M, Hublin C, Virkkala J, KIVIMÄKI M, Vahtera J,
Puttonen S. Job strain, sleep and alertness in shift working health care professionals—a field
study. Industrial health. 2013;51(4):406-16.

categorized in accordance with the particular disorder. Circadian disruption through working in
the night can result in symptoms such as excessive sleepiness at work as well as sleep
disturbances. Shift work sleep disorders results in making creation of greater risk in relation to
human error at work. This has been determined that working in shifts obstructs the cognitive
ability as well as flexibility and impairs the attention, motivation, speech, decision making,
overall performance as well as vigilance.
College of paramedics is a workplace where individual faces issues in shift working. It has been
noticed that coordination is one of key issue which impacts the overall outcome in regard to
policies formation. In shift working the people are not able to complete time on proper deadline
because coordination among members of different shifts is not appropriate. Along with this, issue
in regard to ethics are also being faced. At night shift the individuals are not having appropriate
working as per standards because monitoring system is not proper in night shifts6. Absence of
manager and supervisor motivate employees to have working without consideration of standards.
Moreover, lack of communication is also issue in shift working. It is because the issues in regard
to communication with manager is most common because schedule of manager working is not
appropriate according to all shifts.
Sleepiness leads to slower reactions and interferes with decision making. It has been
noticed that health care council also faces issues in regard to the shift working so diverse
measures need to be referred for sustainable development. In addition to this, it can be said that
working at night also creates an negative impact on natural pattern of working. It does not
provide proper sleep to employees which impacts the alertness. It means by having an
appropriate allocation of work duties such kind of factors or barriers in working can be resolved.
Along with this, it also impacts the morale of employees due to improper supervision. In
addition to this, it can be said that it might be possible that less experience workers can be at one
shift which affects the overall outcome. It means improper allocation of work activities among
members also creates a balanced working issues.
However, resource allocation issues might also be faced by the individuals so
management need to set out diverse standards. It has been noticed that at night shift the delivery
of services might affect due to unavailability of suppliers. It means if information about situation
is not delivered on time then it will impact the strategies formation. Shift work can also cause
certain social issues that decrease well-being and happiness. Irregular working hours does not
allow members to maintain the standards with social norms which might also enhance the level
of depression.
In paramedic practice the shift working can results in various issues this can be related
with impact on the treatment of the person. As the professionals work in shifts thus they need to
provide proper information to other person who will take care of the patient after him 7.
6 ? Zhang L, Sun DM, Li CB, Tao MF. Influencing Factors for Sleep Quality Among Shift-
working Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study in China Using 3-factor Pittsburgh Sleep Quality
Index. Asian Nursing Research. 2016 Dec 31;10(4):277-82.
7 Attarchi M, Raeisi S, Namvar M, Golabadi M. Association between shift working and
musculoskeletal symptoms among nursing personnel. Iranian journal of nursing and
midwifery research. 2014 Jan 6;19(3):309-14.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Roskoden FC, Krüger J, Vogt LJ, Gärtner S, Hannich HJ, Steveling A, Lerch MM, Aghdassi AA.
Physical Activity, Energy Expenditure, Nutritional Habits, Quality of Sleep and Stress
Levels in Shift-Working Health Care Personnel. PLOS ONE. 2017 Jan
12;12(1):e0169983.
Elliott JL, Lal S. Blood pressure, sleep quality and fatigue in shift working police officers:
Effects of a twelve hour roster system on cardiovascular and sleep health. International
journal of environmental research and public health. 2016 Jan 29;13(2):172.
Attarchi M, Raeisi S, Namvar M, Golabadi M. Association between shift working and
musculoskeletal symptoms among nursing personnel. Iranian journal of nursing and
midwifery research. 2014 Jan 6;19(3):309-14.
Hemiö K, Puttonen S, Viitasalo K, Härmä M, Peltonen M, Lindström J. Food and nutrient intake
among workers with different shift systems. Occupational and environmental medicine.
2015 Apr 20:oemed-2014.
Zhang L, Sun DM, Li CB, Tao MF. Influencing Factors for Sleep Quality Among Shift-working
Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study in China Using 3-factor Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.
Asian Nursing Research. 2016 Dec 31;10(4):277-82.