In the start of nursing school we are taught to take care of ourselves before taking care of others. So why is it that nurses forget to or perhaps ignore their health and wellbeing and become so fatigued? Nurses start their careers full of energy. They are excited to solidify their skills and discover the wonderful challenges and mysteries of healthcare. It does not take long before nurses start to feel the burden of increased workload due to increased number of high acuity patients and reduced nurse staffing. Our current healthcare budget does not allow for adequate nurse staffing which is one of the key factors contributing to increased fatigue amongst Canadian nurses. More and more health care settings employ nurses to work 12 hour shifts
…show more content…
It affects the safety of patients and the nurse. Nurses who are tired are not able to function to their full ability, and are more likely to make errors. “Nurses who work longer than 12 hours are three times more likely to make errors“(Rogers et., 2004, as cited in CNA& RNAO, 2010); putting the lives of patients at risk. Fatigue nurses are more likely to cause patients unintentional harm. CNA states fatigue increases likelihood of “falls, injuries, irregular assessments, poor communications, and lack of continuity in delivery of care”(2010). I believe if the general public became more aware of the prevalence of nurse fatigue and how that impacts care provided, we would be able to see more change take place. I think the general public does not realize how much work nurses do during their shift. In my opinion as nurses we have to be alert & orientated for our whole shift in order to prevent injuries pertaining to ourselves and others. Nurses who work 12 hour shifts are exhausted, no matter where they work. It does not matter whether a nurse is working in a hospital in critical care or in as a public health nurse. The reality is, our current nurse staffing is really impacting individual nurses ability to provide care. Approximately 55% of nurses confessed that they always or almost always feel fatigued during work, and 80% feel this way after work (CNA,
It affects the safety of patients and the nurse. Nurses who are tired are not able to function to their full ability, and are more likely to make errors. “Nurses who work longer than 12 hours are three times more likely to make errors“(Rogers et., 2004, as cited in CNA& RNAO, 2010); putting the lives of patients at risk. Fatigue nurses are more likely to cause patients unintentional harm. CNA states fatigue increases likelihood of “falls, injuries, irregular assessments, poor communications, and lack of continuity in delivery of care”(2010). I believe if the general public became more aware of the prevalence of nurse fatigue and how that impacts care provided, we would be able to see more change take place. I think the general public does not realize how much work nurses do during their shift. In my opinion as nurses we have to be alert & orientated for our whole shift in order to prevent injuries pertaining to ourselves and others. Nurses who work 12 hour shifts are exhausted, no matter where they work. It does not matter whether a nurse is working in a hospital in critical care or in as a public health nurse. The reality is, our current nurse staffing is really impacting individual nurses ability to provide care. Approximately 55% of nurses confessed that they always or almost always feel fatigued during work, and 80% feel this way after work (CNA,