Longer breaks between shifts promote nurses' recovery from work

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-06/uoef-lbb061715.php

Public Release: 17-Jun-2015
University of Eastern Finland

Reducing short breaks between shifts helps nurses recover from work, according to a new study from Finland. The study analysed the effects of longer rest and recovery periods between shifts on heart rate variability, which is an indicator of recovery.

Shift work can increase the risk of many diseases, for example cardiovascular diseases. The increased risk is partially caused by insufficient recovery from work, which interferes with the normal function of the autonomic nervous system regulating heart function and blood pressure, among other things. Nurses have too little time for rest and recovery especially in the backwards-rotating shift system, which allows less than 11 hours of rest between the night and the morning shift.

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According to the researchers, the results show that in order to promote nurses' coping, ability to work and well-being at work, it is recommendable to use a forward-rotating shift system, in which a shift is always followed by a shift that begins later, i.e. a morning shift followed by an evening shift. This leaves sufficient time for recovery in between the shifts.

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