NURE Investigación (May 2013)

Shift work a reality in life and health nurses

  • Mª Mercedes Gago López,
  • Alicia Lorenza Bouzada Rodríguez,
  • Antonia Otero López,
  • Carmen Otero López,
  • José Calvo Alonso,
  • Rosa Carracedo Martín

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 64

Abstract

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The need to provide care 24 hours of the day, 365 days of the year, means for nurses, compulsory work in a system of rotating shifts, including the realization of nights. This system has repercussions on the life, health and well-being of nurses.In order to identify evidence on the relationship between the work to shift and/or night the health and well-being of nurses and develop recommendations to improve the adaptation to the system of rotating shifts and/or night, have carried out a review of the literature.After detailed analysis of the literature, we can conclude that the quality of the care provided is in direct relation to the health and well-being of the nursing professional. Implement measures to reduce the physical, psychic, social and family wear must be priority, being necessary to educate professionals, families, society and business. Among the recommendations highlight, those directed to the company; set realistic goals, to reduce workloads in the night shift adapting them to the actual number of nurses, flexible schedules and recommendations addressed to the professional related: diet, sleep, exercise, family life and social hygiene. The implementation of these measures will mean: increase satisfaction, reduce absenteeism, increase productivity, reduce the number of errors and decrease spending.

Keywords