12 Hour Shifts Argumentative Essay

Additionally 12-hour shifts contribute to fatigue among nurses. In a study published in the Journal of Nursing Management, Richardson et al. found that 60% of 145 respondents agreed with the statement regarding 12-hour shifts, “makes me feel tired after working two or more consecutive shifts.” Only 17.9% disagreed with the statement and 22.1% remained neutral (842). This increase in reported fatigue, caused by working long and mentally/physically demanding shifts, is the foundation of the argument against 12-hour shifts. The negative consequences associated with 12-hour nursing shifts all have one thing in common, they emanate from fatigue. Some of the various outcomes of fatigue and sleep deprivation are as follows: long-term health effects seen in nurses; an increase in medication errors and near errors; fatality; short-term memory deficits; and decreases in vigilance, memory, information processing, reaction time, and decision making. Twelve-hour shifts compared to 8-hour shifts are proving to have more …show more content…
In regards to the Wisconsin case, one can see that if 12-hour shifts were not in effect here, the death of a young life could have been prevented and a lifetime of guilt and consequences on the nurses behalf, spared. Facilities using 12-hour shifts as a means of scheduling need to weigh the positive and negative consequences at hand and go from there. Who are these shifts benefiting more, the nurses or the patients? To progress further in the field of nursing we need to asses how 12-hour shifts are affecting the patients because as health care professionals the main goal should be patient satisfaction and overall well-being. I propose that facilities operating under 12-hour shifts start moving towards 8-hour shifts in hopes of reaching these