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The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the relationships between sleep, work practices, speed of processing, and 5-year motor vehicle crash risk among a group of older truck drivers. Anthropometric, demographic, and psychological data were recorded, along with health, sleep, and work histories from a sample of 23 truck drivers. Results from this pilot study suggest that physical fatigue may play a role in processing speed. Future studies should be designed with adequate power and include objective measures of sleep and repeated measures over time to determine 5-year MVC rates. Implications for occupational health nursing research, practice, and education are presented.

Background: Restorative sleep is essential for the level of cognitive performance required of truckers to drive safely. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe and explore sleep-related and safety decision-making among truck drivers. Methods: Flyers and snowball sampling were used to recruit truck drivers into the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine personal and professional influences on sleep and safety decision-making and preferences for receiving health information. Thematic analysis was conducted to generate descriptions of participants’ experiences. Findings: The sample consisted of 10 White males with a mean of 22 years of truck-driving experience. Weather conditions and drowsiness were the most commonly described conditions that required sleep decision-making by the participants. Four themes impacting sleep- and safety-related decision-making emerged including sentinel events, evolving driver characteristics, relationships, and company-level factors. Conclusion/Application to Practice: Findings from this study suggest that there are both internal and external factors influencing sleep and safety decision-making among truck drivers. Personal relationships with important others, such as family members, and professional relationships with company dispatchers were important influences among participants. During encounters with truck drivers, occupational health nurses should assess sleep quality and quantity and review healthy sleep hygiene strategies with them and their family members, if they are available. Future larger studies are necessary to inform the development of interventions and company policies to promote healthy sleep among truck drivers.

A growing number of individuals are living with chronic traumatic brain injury. As these individuals and their families attempt to reintegrate into their communities, several ethical questions arise for clinicians and researchers. These include issues around alignment of perspectives and priorities, as well as responsibilities for ongoing treatment, education, community outreach and research. An action plan for addressing these questions is outlined.A chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one that results in longstanding sequelae that may include cognitive deficits, motor impairment, mood and psychiatric symptoms, and secondary medical conditions [1,2]. These sequelae can range from mild to very severe, and can change dynamically over time. Individuals living with chronic TBI may experience challenges in all aspects of functioning, affecting both the individual and family. Discussion

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