Nurses Fatigue Level: Causes and Consequences

Abstract

Background Nurses play a critical and vital role in the delivery of patient care, they exposed to workplace hazards and violence, work overload, pain, exhaustionand fatigue which affect their health and social life. Aim Of the present study was aimed to assess nurses fatigue level causes and consequences. Research design A descriptive design was used to carry out this study. Setting The study was conducted in multispecialty private hospital in Cairo which is supervised by Ministry of Health; bed capacity approximately (n = 200 beds). Sample Convenient sample of all available nursing staff (n = 300) who are working during the period of data collection. Data collection tools: The current study data was collected using self-administered questionnaire titled Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Results The study subjects had high mean scores to all domains and total of fatigue consequences. Clarifying that the highest mean score (77.0 % and 76.6%) was regarding to fatigue and physical activities and Fatigue and lack of energy. Around half (47.3%) of nurses had moderate fatigue level. Also, (32.4%) of them had severe fatigue level. While, the least percentage (20.3%) of nurses had mild fatigue level. There was a highly statistical significant positive relation exists between the study subjects' perception of total fatigue level and their years of experiences, gender, current job position and current working unit (X2 = 15.99, P-Value = 0.00, X2 = 7.99, P-Value = 0.03 X2 = 5.94, P-Value = .015* and X2 = 10.38, P-Value = 0.04*) respectively. While, there is no statistically significant relation between the total fatigue level and their age and qualifications(X2 = 1.33, P-Value = 0.085, and X2 = 1.2 P-Value = 0.12) respectively. Conclusion Nurses had high mean scores to all domains and total of fatigue consequences. The highest mean score was regarding to fatigue and physical activities and, fatigue and lack of energy domains. Around half of nurses had a moderate level of fatigue, almost one third of them had a severe level of fatigue, while, the least percentage of them had mild level of fatigue. There was a highly statistically significant positive relation exists between nurses' perception of total fatigue level and their years of experiences, gender, current job position and current working unit. While, there is no statistically significant relation between the total fatigue level and their age and qualifications. Recommendations Unit managers should consider staff needs for monthly work scheduling and give the suitable break time during long hour shift and detect negative signs and symptoms of fatigue and how to support and manage nurses. Hospital administrators must encourage nurses to follow a healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, enough sleep, and stress management techniques and develop appropriate educational programs and preventive strategies for nurses to be able to control fatigue causes and consequences.