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12-hour work shift for nurses puts patient at risk!
Posted on: 14/Sep/2015 10:22:16 AM
Nurses who work for more than twelve hours a day tend to quit their job and are prone to bursting out with emotional exhaustion which altogether will have a negative impact on patient care, say new research.
In countries like Europe, 12-hour shifts are very common. These result in burnout, dissatisfaction at work and likeliness to quit the job, adds the study. The risk of such a shift work is so severe that it puts both the patients as well as nurses at risk, alerts Peter Griffith, professor of University of Southmpton, Britain who was a lead author of the study.
This study involved examining more than 31,000 nurses in over 12 European countries. Those nurses who worked in a 12-hour shift are mostly observed to be dissatisfied with their job compared to nurses who work in an 8-hour shift.
Assuming that the 12-hour work shift will be beneficial in reducing the total number of handovers, Health Managers misconceive it to improve their work efficiency. As a 12-hour work shift gives them the freedom of constricting their working week, nurses prefer the pattern too. This stands beneficial in cutting down on the commutation cost, letting them enjoy better flexibility.
This method is however a factor of serious concern as it largely puts the patients at risk. These results of the study were published in BMH One – an online journal.
