When nurses work long hours, whether out of stuff number requirement or voluntarily, they do not function at their best. Some of the consequences of working long shifts include dissatisfaction with work, burnout, and fatigue. When nurses are overwhelmed and fatigued with duties and fail to see any changes, they place patients at a higher danger for compromised healthcare or injury-related challenges. Shift-work is considered as a norm in the nursing profession (Ramin et al. 2015). Traditionally, nurses tended to work different shifts from night to day in one week or two. Since the universe began experiencing a shortage of nurses, most medical institutions adopted working hours that were flexible. Presently, more than 70% of nurses in medical institutions work twelve-hour shifts. There are numerous benefits of working twelve-hour shifts in nursing, even though one disadvantage might be the increase in less sleep and fatigue, mainly when hours are included in the shift. For example, a nurse might be required to attend to other commitments including meetings after they have left work. The study of long working hours in nurses is significant because it is related to the performance of nurses. The study is also essential because it influences the quality of healthcare that is provided to patients in medical institutions.

References

Ramin, C., Devore, E. E., Wang, W., Pierre-Paul, J., Wegrzyn, L. R., & Schernhammer, E. S. (2015). Night shift work at specific age ranges and chronic disease risk factors. Occup Environ Med, 72(2), 100-107.