From dusk to dawn

Abstract

cross the globe, nurses are needed in many different settings to care for patients at night. Despite the continued demand for nurses to work this challenging shift when most others are sleeping, little is known about nurses' perception of the nightshift work environment. Evidence exists on the differences in how hospitals organize care during the day shift compared with the night shift. For example, overnight less diagnostic and treatment services are available, staffing generally includes fewer and newer nursing and ancillary staff who operate with less supervision, and surge capacity includes more on-call personnel. [1][2][3] Researchers have also found some positive aspects related to working night shift: night nurses experience more teamwork, camaraderie, and autonomy during their shift, and they have the benefit of fulfilling family responsibilities when others are working. [4][5][6][7] Yet, working at night disrupts nurses' circadian rhythms and has consequences for their physical and mental health, with ramifications related to job performance and satisfaction. [8][9][10][11][12][13] The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recognized that performance deficits 2.0CONTACT HOURS