In today’s fast pace society no one is exempt from the demands of work, and the resulting fatigue. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the life of a nursing professional. Nurses are scheduled to work 12-hour shifts as a matter of course. Then, to make a 40-hour workweek and obtain benefits they work a fourth 12-hour shift. Already into overtime, the nurse will volunteer for even more hours to satisfy their need to care for people in their charge. Also, the particular needs of the case or a staffing situation may drive the requirement for even more work hours. This significant degree of order is not, however, without its downside. Nurses caught in this cycle of chasing hours to obtain the benefits, and then also adding hours because of
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Researchers Han et al. (2014) states, “Nurse fatigue has been nationally recognized as a threat to both nurse and patient safety” (p. 409). From that study, we learn that nurses all over the nation have for decades been victims of long work shifts and fatigue, which in turns threatens their neuro-cognitive functioning and hinders job performance. The study also indicates a need for better schedules and controlled work shift guidelines for nurses. Basically, Han et al. (2014) are saying, “Work schedule, especially long work hours, and can lead to nurse fatigue” (p. 409). Nurses and the workplace need to come to an agreement about work fatigue and implement an approach to support and provide substantial improvements to the nursing schedule. To elaborate on the earlier truck driver analogy and how it applies to the nursing professional, a newspaper article from USA Today writes about how nurses need to have enough sleep to perform correctly on the job. Unger (2015) implies that, “A steady stream of studies link fatigue to errors, increased risk-taking, declines in short-term memory and a reduced ability to learn – with researchers likening the performance of someone awake for at least 17 hours to that of a drunk person.” There is a definite irony portrayed by these articles. We have medical institutions supposedly committed to healing and caring for sick and injured people, who do not demonstrate …show more content…
In fact, stress and fatigue should have no place in a peacetime healthcare arena. Nurses and managers of the workplace need to approach work fatigue and the implementation of a solution to support and provide desirable improvements to a nurse’s schedule, which will, in turn, strengthen the organization's ability to provide better outcomes for patients relying on them for healing. The solution must begin with a program of awareness and training for both the nursing professional and all levels of management responsible for nursing management. This will set a stage in which the nurse can say no without retaliation when they feel their abilities are impaired. Therefore coupled with the buddy system to create a mutual responsibility to check each other’s personal state of workplace functioning can reduce symptoms of fatigue and stress in the workplace. The end results will be healthier nurses, a higher level of patient care, and a reduction or reversal of nurses leaving the
Researchers Han et al. (2014) states, “Nurse fatigue has been nationally recognized as a threat to both nurse and patient safety” (p. 409). From that study, we learn that nurses all over the nation have for decades been victims of long work shifts and fatigue, which in turns threatens their neuro-cognitive functioning and hinders job performance. The study also indicates a need for better schedules and controlled work shift guidelines for nurses. Basically, Han et al. (2014) are saying, “Work schedule, especially long work hours, and can lead to nurse fatigue” (p. 409). Nurses and the workplace need to come to an agreement about work fatigue and implement an approach to support and provide substantial improvements to the nursing schedule. To elaborate on the earlier truck driver analogy and how it applies to the nursing professional, a newspaper article from USA Today writes about how nurses need to have enough sleep to perform correctly on the job. Unger (2015) implies that, “A steady stream of studies link fatigue to errors, increased risk-taking, declines in short-term memory and a reduced ability to learn – with researchers likening the performance of someone awake for at least 17 hours to that of a drunk person.” There is a definite irony portrayed by these articles. We have medical institutions supposedly committed to healing and caring for sick and injured people, who do not demonstrate …show more content…
In fact, stress and fatigue should have no place in a peacetime healthcare arena. Nurses and managers of the workplace need to approach work fatigue and the implementation of a solution to support and provide desirable improvements to a nurse’s schedule, which will, in turn, strengthen the organization's ability to provide better outcomes for patients relying on them for healing. The solution must begin with a program of awareness and training for both the nursing professional and all levels of management responsible for nursing management. This will set a stage in which the nurse can say no without retaliation when they feel their abilities are impaired. Therefore coupled with the buddy system to create a mutual responsibility to check each other’s personal state of workplace functioning can reduce symptoms of fatigue and stress in the workplace. The end results will be healthier nurses, a higher level of patient care, and a reduction or reversal of nurses leaving the