The night shift is of special concern
because it produces fatigue in both
8- and 12-hour shift nurses, but at
more dangerous levels in those on
12-hour shifts, as their quantity of
sleep between shifts drops to dangerously
low levels. Both rotating
and permanent night shift workers
have difficulty remaining alert
during the body’s circadian nadir
(2-4 AM), so tasks requiring concentration
should not be scheduled
during that period. If necessary, a
Bbuddy[ system should be used,
with nurses working together to
check on one another to reduce the
risk of errors. Planned napping can
be extremely beneficial and is much
safer than the unplanned naps that
already take place during the night
shift.We strongly support this harm
reduction strategy. Both laboratory
and workplace studies have confirmed
(by electroencephalogram)
that a brief 15- to 20-minute nap
during a workshift confers additional
alertness, especially for
workers with partial sleep deprivation.
3 A nap of 20 minutes reduces
the risk for sleep inertia (grogginess
upon waking). Creating
appropriate conditions for napping
will be needed to make these
breaks effective, including controlling
noise. It is also essential to