Along with patients health, working 12-hr shifts also imposes a risk on mental and physical health for nurses.
In the article, “Effects of Extended Work Shifts and Shift Work on Patient Safety, Productivity, and Employee Health,” Simone Keller states that although nurses are likely to have more days off, they are likely to “feel ill many of those days and experience long-term adverse health effects.”
Limiting this shift to 8-hours would allow nurses to function better, adapt a stronger immune system through more adequate sleep, and be exposed to germs for fewer hours a day.
In the journal,“The impact of 12-hour shifts on nurses’ health, wellbeing, and job satisfaction: A systematic review,” the author discusses the adverse effects 12-hour shifts can have on the nurse such as poor sleep quality, musculoskeletal disorders, and stress, which can be limited with 8-hr shifts (Banakhar).
12-hour shifts are putting the nurses at risk for many mental and physical health issues.
