Insomnia, Sleepiness, and Fatigue Among Polish Nurses

Abstract

Background: Sleep disorders can result in sleepiness, fatigue, and apathy, and may contribute to serious occupational consequences such as errors at work. The aim of the study was to examine the level of insomnia, sleepiness, and fatigue in a sample of Polish nurses. Methods: The research was conducted among nurses employed in the Lublin region of Poland. A sample of nurses were invited to participate in a survey in which we measured insomnia, sleepiness, and fatigue using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Findings: Among the 200 nurses that were surveyed, 141 (70.5%) responded. The findings indicated that a total of 47.8% of the surveyed nurses reported insomnia. Half (50.0%) exceeded the threshold for fatigue relative to the general population. Although no differences in fatigue and sleepiness were observed by level of insomnia between those who did and did not work night shift, we observed an overall correlation between insomnia (AIS) and sleepiness (ESS), as well as between insomnia (AIS) and fatigue (FSS). Conclusions/Application to practice: This sample of Polish nurses displayed problems with sleep quality. The consequences of insomnia and fatigue challenge occupational health workers to go beyond traditional care and standard diagnostic tests. Undertaking preventive measures aimed at reducing health hazards, and the risk of making a mistake at work due to increased sleepiness and fatigue, in nurses are warranted.

The prevalence of sleep disturbances among physicians and nurses facing the COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Sleep disorder can cause drowsiness, fatigue and loss of appetite. On the other hand, this disorder reduces concentration and can cause workplace errors and accidents [ 30 ]. Today, nurses and physicians are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.…”

Prevalence and Influencing Factors on Fatigue of First-line Nurses Combating with COVID-19 in China: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

“…It has been reported that the incidence of fatigue is 35.3%-50.00% in the recent relative studies [27,28] . If we do not pay attention to the reasonable arrangement of rest, nurses are prone to fatigue syndrome.…”

Factors associated with insomnia among Chinese front‐line nurses fighting against COVID‐19 in Wuhan: A cross‐sectional survey

“…Recently, nurses' insomnia has been increasingly studied, but the sample size of existing studies is small and the representativeness is limited. For example, Zdanowicz et al (2020) selected 200 nurses from two hospitals to investigate the current situation of insomnia in Polish nurses, and Wu et al (2020) selected 106 nurses to investigate the sleep quality and its influencing factors of front-line nurses fighting against COVID-19. In addition, most of the existing studies only report the current status, and a comprehensive analysis of the influencing factors of insomnia in nurses is still rare, which makes it difficult to make targeted interventions.…”

“…Because of the particularity of their occupation, nurses have a great responsibility, a heavy workload, huge pressure and the need to work in shifts, so they are more likely to suffer from insomnia (Huang, Wu, Ho, & Wang, 2018). The incidence of insomnia among nurses in a certain region of Poland was 47.8% (Zdanowicz, Turowski, Celej‐Szuster, Lorencowicz, & Przychodzka, 2020). In four tertiary hospitals in Shanghai, China, 51.0%–72.1% of nurses in various departments had different degrees of insomnia.…”