Sleepiness in critical care nurses: Results of a pilot study

✍ Scribed by Salim Surani; Shyam Subramanian; Harsh Babbar; Jane Murphy; Raymond Aguillar

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 146 KB
• Volume: 3
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1553-5592
• DOI: 10.1002/jhm.307

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Sleep deprivation, compounded by circadian disruptions, is a common problem in health care workers. Sleepiness in nurses has important implications for patients as well as nurses' own safety.

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of the study was to assess comprehensively sleepiness levels in post‐night‐shift nurses.

METHODS:

Post‐night‐shift nurses in the ICU and on general floors (medicine and surgery) were assessed using subjective (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]) and objective (Mean Sleep Latency Test [MSLT]) measures.

RESULTS:

ESS was abnormal (>8) in 7 of 10 ICU nurses compared with 2 of 10 floor nurses (P < .005), and mean ESS score was also higher (8.7 ± 3.9 vs. 5.6 ± 2.1, respectively; P = 0.042). MSLT values for the first nap period were in the pathologic range in the ICU nurses compared with the floor nurses (4.65 ± 5.5 vs. 10.85 ± 7.4 minutes, respectively; P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS:

Post‐night‐shift RNs working in the ICU have a pathologic degree of sleepiness. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2008;3:200–205. © 2008 Society of Hospital Medicine.