Sleep Among Shiftworkers – a Priority for Clinical Practice and Research in Occupational Health Nursing

Details

• Personal Author:
  Lee KA ; Lipscomb, Jane A.
• Description:
  It has been estimated that 20% of the U.S. work force is employed during non-standard hours or on some form of shiftwork schedule (21 % of employed men and 19% of employed women) (Presser. l 999). Many studies have demonstrated that work performance is affected by inadequate sleep. Over time, poor sleep results in a state of chronic sleep loss and can influence physical health, mental health, and f unctional behaviors, including work performance (Edell-Gustafsson, 2002; Melamed, 2002; Ohayon, 2002). Poor sleep in shiftworkers is often a direct result of disrupted circadian rhythms and attempts to sleep out of phase with the dark cycle of the 24 hour day and be active out of phase with the light portion of the 24 hour day. Interventions to improve sleep and performance have focused on either melatonin or phototherapy (use of bright light), and have had mixed results in terms of effectiveness and efficacy (Burgess, 2002). A complete review of shiftwork and alterations in circadian rhythms can be found in Burgess (2002), Rajaratnam (2001), or Rezents (1994). Over time, sleep debt can result in excessive sleepiness and risk for injury and accidents or errors, both in the workplace and outside the work environment (Melamed, 2002). When shiftwork and its relationship to injuries and errors were examined in a survey of 635 Massachusetts nurses, individuals who rotated shifts had twice the risk of nodding off while driving to or from work, and twice the risk of an accident or error related to sleepiness (Gold, 2002). In a secondary analysis of data from nurses in California and Oregon, the authors sought to compare self reported frequencies of accidents, errors, and detriments in work performance for groups of women exposed to different shift schedules. The results are briefly reported in this Clinical Update. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Behavior Circadian Rhythm Environmental Exposure Health Personnel Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Shift Work Schedule Sleep Sleep Initiation And Maintenance Disorders

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• Keywords:
  Accidents Circadian Rhythms Exposure Levels Injuries Mental Health Nurses Physiological Effects Psychological Effects Risk Factors Shift Work Shift Workers Sleep Deprivation Sleep Disorders Workers Work Performance

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• ISSN:
  0891-0162
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Maryland ; Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  418-420
• Volume:
  51
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20057452
• Citation:
  AAOHN J 2003 Oct; 51(10):418-420
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2004
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20030701
• Source Full Name:
  AAOHN Journal - American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Journal
• End Date:
  20050630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8e79aac0a0962cf03954df9fe4d0dd70b791d866a5378c34a1532140194d892c07d999eb2c27e6826aef7716c6d769d2cc9790b5f6340ab919d9523d97a115a8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/214806/cdc_214806_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 664.28 KB ]