Nurse Work Schedules and Burnout :
Is There a Connection?
Nurse work schedules and burnout in the nursing profession are probably related. There is little work in the area of nurse burnout and quantitative research, but indeed, I believe there are significant aspects to this issue that deserve attention.
Nurse Work Schedules: Shift Work and Burnout
Shift work in nursing is promoted with higher pay incentives and greater autonomy.Shifts that begin later in the day or extend beyond a certain hour, are accompanied by increased pay differentials. This encourages nurses to work during the time that the rest of the world is home with their families or sleeping. In addition to separating these nurses from quality time with their families, frequently the part of the day that is taken up by work, is also the time when socializing would normally occur. Stress results when the demands on one's energy and time outweigh the coping strategies available to meet them. These conditions tend to isolate the nurse, further contributing to the relationship between
nurse work schedules and burnout.
Nurse Work Schedules: Incentive Pay and Burnout
Incentive pay for holidays, weekends and night shifts further contributes to the isolation of nurses from the normal routine of life.Single parents are often lured to these less desirable shifts in order to maximize time with their children. Theoretically, this would give more free time without sacrificing adequate pay. However, when the time available overlaps with the child's away-from-home activities, the parent finds himself spending all of the family time taxi-ing children to and from activities.
Nurse Work Schedules: Extended Shifts and Burnout
Extended shifts, such as ten and twelve hour shifts may decrease the days of work for the nurse, but the fatigue incurred often interferes with the quality of the time off. Irritability and impatience mark time spent trying to meet the needs of children and spouses, when there is no opportunity to rest during days off. Paid outside child care may be reduced when a parent works three twelve hour shifts per week rather than five eight hour shifts. However, the toll taken on a professional nurse providing nonstop patient care for twelve hours, results in decreased emotional energy for family and friends at the end of that period. Thus, extended shifts can be a factor in nurse schedules and their impact on burnout.
Nurse Work Schedules: Understaffing and Burnout
Another significant factor in the area of nurse work schedules and burnout may be the matter of staffing. The federal government has recommended minimal RN-to-patient ratios for various levels of care. Hospitals are likely to find ways around adequate RN staffing, such as adding unlicensed assistive personnel to pick up the slack. This frequently adds to the stress of the RN, who must supervise and be professionally responsible for such personnel. Poorly planned staffing therefore, adds to the problem of nurse work schedules and burnout. The RN may have no part in the selection or training of these assistants, and is therefore at the mercy of the institution to provide qualified help
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