Sleep Quality, Shift Work and its Effects on Stroop Task Errors in University Student Nurses: A Feasibility Study
Abstract
It is estimated that as many as 98,000 people die due to medical errors that occur in hospitals worldwide any given year. Studies suggest there is a deterioration in nurses’ sleep quality as a result of rotational shift work and this impairs nursing work performance. The present study determined the feasibility of using nursing students to study the impact of shift work on their sleep quality, fatigue and executive function.Results suggested a future study would be feasible after changing certain aspects of the methodology. Most importantly is a need to employ a large enough sample to include a representative array of shift types typically found in the workplace. Second, an improved test of executive function is needed. Also, a daily measure of sleep outcomes, in addition to the monthly retrospective measures used, is warranted.