Background: It is reported that sleep disorders caused by night-shift work in hospitals affect the job performance of many nurses. Therefore, we conducted a questionnaire survey targeting young nurses. Objective: To determine the relationship between sleep disorders and shift work among young female nurses in 11 hospitals in Japan. Design: Cross-sectional study using anonymous self-administered questionnaires, carried out in July 1999 Subjects: 620 female nurses (Average age: 23.9), who had started their careers in April 1997 and continued working in the same hospitals for two years and three months as of the time of the survey. Outcome measure: Nine items concerning sleep disorders from the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), two items concerning use of alcoholic beverages to help induce sleep and trouble at work due to drowsiness, and status of night shifts per month Results: Statistically significant correlations were observed between working night shifts and the use of alcoholic beverages to help induce sleep, and between working night shifts and daytime drowsiness. Statistically significant differences were also observed between the two- and three-shift systems with regard to subjective sleep quality. Moreover, statistically significant@correlations were observed between average hours of sleep and the following three items related to sleep: subjective sleep quality, difficulty in getting to sleep, and daytime drowsiness. Conclusion: The above results suggest that in the Japanese shift-work systems, sufficient hours of sleeping are needed for nurses who work night shifts to ensure good quality of sleep.
Keywords: Women's Health, Nurses
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.