The impact of shift work on eating patterns and self-care strategies utilised by experienced and inexperienced nurses

Abstract

For nurses, shift work is a necessity, required to provide 24-h continuous care for patients. Research posits that fatigue amongst shift-working nurses is associated with inadequate and poorly timed sleep and also strongly influenced by the timing, quality and quantity of food consumed. The aim of this investigation was to examine differences and similarities in the food choices and eating patterns of nurses exposed to different lengths of time in shift work, as a means of understanding how nurses can adapt their eating patterns to better manage fatigue and sleep loss. Qualitative methodology was utilised to study and capture in-depth information about nurses' daily working lives. A case study approach allowed for the investigation of nurses with limited and extensive experience of shift work. Increased food craving, caffeine consumption and snacking behaviours during night shifts were described by both groups of nurses, as was the inability to drink enough fluids at work. Meal skipping at work, associated with high workload, was detailed more by experienced nurses. Experienced nurses described shopping and preparing home cooked meals in advance to manage food intake and associated fatigue, contrasting with patterns from inexperienced nurses. Experienced nurses recounted drinking alcohol as a way to rest and recover from shift work, unlike their less inexperienced colleagues. These findings indicate organisational and work place issues such as shift work and rostering influence the food choices and eating patterns of shift-working nurses. Experienced nurses, however, draw on a greater range of strategies around diet and eating patterns to minimise these impacts.

Association Between Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption as Meal Substitutes, Workload, and Obesity in Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Occupational stress and reduced time availability at work have been associated with workers' unhealthy eating behaviors [11,40]. A study of health care workers showed that not having enough time for a meal break was the most common barrier for workers' healthy eating [29].…”

“…While the causes of obesity are complex, numerous studies have shown that increased sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption can be obesogenic [6,[8][9][10]. It has been documented that hospital nurses tend to cope with fatigue by consuming sugar-sweetened food or SSBs at work [11]. In Asian countries, studies have suggested that unhealthy eating behaviors (e.g., food consumption misaligned with dietary recommendations) are prevalent among hospital nurses [12][13][14].…”

Consequences of Circadian Disruption in Shift Workers on Chrononutrition and their Psychosocial Well-Being

“…A study conducted by Gifkins et al (2018) among nurses working in shifts found that there was increased food craving, caffeine consumption, and snacking behaviors throughout the night shifts as well as the inability to consume enough fluids at work. The experienced nurses described more about meal skipping at work and relation with a tremendous workload as well as consumption of alcohol as the approach to rest from shift work [27]. Likewise, it was reported among the mine workers who worked in rotating shift duties that they had difficulty in following typical patterns to consume meals [92].…”

“…While those on a more conventional daytime work schedule are most likely to eat three meals every 24 h, with food consumed during daytime [6,7], shift work usually contributes to altered eating patterns with food consumed across the 24 h period, including those at night [5,7]. Shift workers regularly Figure 1 illustrates the effect of circadian rhythm disruption on different body systems that include cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system [22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

“…impact to their physical and psychological wellness and also negatively affects the performance at the work place [21]. Figure 1 illustrates the effect of circadian rhythm disruption on different body systems that include cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system [22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. Humans are mainly active or awake during the day and inactive or asleep at night.…”