Effects of Shift Work and Mental Workload on Fatigue of Intensive Care Unit Nurses

Abstract

Background and Objective: The importance of examining shift work, especially in the health sector, is due to the harmful and irreparable consequences that are attributed to it. Work shifts, especially night shifts, lead to fatigue and consequent adverse effects on health, alertness, and performance. This study aimed to investigate the effects of shift work and mental workload on fatigue of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Materials and Methods: This analytical and cross-sectional study was performed on 144 ICU nurses in three hospitals of Shiraz. The subjects were selected using the census sampling method. The Samn-Perelli Mental Fatigue Scale and NASA Mental Workload Scale were completed for 2 weeks at the beginning and end of each shift. Results: The results showed that the amount of mental fatigue and mental workload were significantly associated with the type of work shifts (P<0.05). Moreover, mental fatigue had a significant association with the average hours of sleep during the last two weeks (r=-0.24, P<0.01), the average mental fatigue and mental workload (P<0.01, r=0.25), lack of leisure time (P<0.01, r=-0.22), and a regular exercise program (P <0.01, r =-0.3). Conclusion: The mental workload and shift schedule affect the fatigue of ICU nurses. However, there seem to be other factors that affect their fatigue. Hence, further studies are needed to investigate the effect of lifestyle and personal factors on fatigue.

Keywords

• fatigue
• intensive care
• mental workload
• nurse
• shift work