Impact of night shift rotations on nursing performance and patient safety: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Aim Hospitals operate on a 24‐hr basis, with shiftwork being unavoidable for most nurses. This study aims to explore the impact of night shiftwork rotations on nurses' physiological status, work performance and patient safety concerns among nurses in public hospitals. Design A descriptive predictive correlational design using a self‐administered questionnaire. Methods Electronic and printable survey questionnaires were distrusted among nurses working in public hospitals in multiple regions of Saudi Arabia. The study recruited 1,256 nurses from different nationalities, hospital work units and work experience. Results A large proportion of nurses on night shiftwork encountered patient safety issues (85.7%) and physiological consequences (93.6%). Counselling sessions and programmes to support at‐risk nurses are recommended.

Occupational Fatigue and Associated Factors among Saudi Nurses Working 8-Hour Shifts at Public Hospitals

“…Studies conducted in the KSA mainly reported a negative impact of the night shift on nurses’ performance, patient safety, and psychosocial well-being ( Almajwal, 2016 ; Alsharari, 2019 ; Alsharari et al, 2021 ). In this respect and given that no cited study investigated the difference in fatigue level according to shift hours in the Saudi context, further investigation is needed to determine whether fatigue and recovery are different among 8-hours and 12-h shifts and influencing factors among Saudi nurses.…”

“…To meet the job criteria of full-time employees in public healthcare hospitals, nurses must work approximately 40 h per week. Head nurses in public hospital departments commonly schedule staff nurses for five consecutive workdays, each with an eight-hour shift, followed by two consecutive off-days ( Ministry of Health (MOH), 2019 ; Alsharari et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Other studies have reported the adverse effects of night shift work on the physiological status of nurses, including anxiety, musculoskeletal disorders, stress, development of obesity due to poor eating habits ( Books et al, 2020 ; Liu et al, 2018 ), fatigue, family problems, and decreased job and life satisfaction ( Abdulah et al, 2020 ). Studies conducted in the KSA also investigated the impact of night shift rotations on nurses’ performance, patient safety, psychosocial impact, among nurses ( Almajwal, 2016 ; Alsharari, 2019 ; Alsharari et al, 2021 ). However, occupational fatigue and recovery process on rotational shift work remains a significant concern that causes psychological and social difficulties for nurses ( Alsharari, 2019 ; Rahman et al, 2016 ), especially Saudi nurses.…”

Development and testing of the situational judgement test to measure safety performance of healthcare professionals: An explorative cross‐sectional study

“…They are a constant presence for the patient, interact with other HCP on a regular basis and are responsible for monitoring patients' condition, understanding and communicating care processes and changes in patient condition (Peck Malliaris et al, 2021). Furthermore, healthcare professionals (HCPs) can become causes of near misses, adverse events and errors (Alsharari et al, 2021;Kiesewetter et al, 2018;Veloski et al, 2005).…”

Perception of Effects of Shiftwork Questionnaire (PESQ) among Ambulance Service Staff in Saudi Arabia: An Exploratory Factor Analysis

“…[18] However, there has been no effort to capture the perceived total effects of shiftwork on the over-all wellbeing of ambulance service staff and personnel in Saudi Arabia or other Middle Eastern countries, which has robust psychometric properties. While other countries present rich information on the various effects of shift work in Western ambulance service staff, the effects of shiftwork to ambulance staff in Saudi Arabia remains unexplored, although efforts have been F. Albishri [19].…”