“Napping on the Night Shift”

The goal of this study by Geiger-Brown et al. (2016) was to assess the challenges that prevent nurses from successfully implementing night-shift naps. Additionally, talking about the difficulties with napping that nurses face while working night shifts (Redeker & McEnany, 2011).

Does allowing nurses to take naps during the night shift help their performance? The investigation’s working premise is that there are no obstacles preventing nurses from using nighttime naps.

An observational study design was used. When a researcher has no control over the independent variable, in this case sleep, the research design enables the authors to draw conclusions by comparing a sample population to a control group. The researchers allowed the participants to sleep; measured their level of activity before and after the nap session. The authors did not have control over sleep among the night-shift nurses.

Methods used to collect data included interview, Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) and Investigator-developed four-point scale. The techniques employed to collect data were appropriate helping the investigators to answer the research question regarding the level of activity of night-shift nurses before and after sleep in the health industry.

The researchers interviewed subjects to allow them to collect data from the participants on how they felt before and after a nap. The interview between the nurses and investigators in the units took place during February 2014 after getting a favorable napping experience and notes recorded. The meeting allowed the researchers obtain data by exhausting a one-on-one session with the participants after successful completion of the experiment.

Even though the method of data collection was appropriate, it had some possible weakness leading to accumulation of inaccurate information from the subjects. The potential weakness of interview in this research is that it permits the staff nurses to answer questions based on their understanding of napping during shifts.

The data analysis method employed in this investigation is quantitative. Quantitative data analysis was appropriate because it focused on numbers and figures to assist the researchers to quantify the magnitude and impact that nap has on the level of activity among night-shift nurses.

Some of the possible weakness of quantitative data analysis method include it does not give data describing how nap boosts the mentality of the staff nurses on night shifts. The approach mainly focuses on obtaining percentages and figures on how sleep influence the level of physical activity among nurses during night-shifts. For instance, most subjects described some sleepiness immediately before taking a nap (mean KSS score, 6.1; SD of 1.8) as anticipated to occur during a night shift.

The researchers did not collect demographic data on the sample population to ensure they maintain the anonymity of all participants. However, the inclusion criteria for the study was that all participants were nurses.

Key Findings

The key findings of this research revealed that the implementation occurred successfully in one of the six units selected while partial success witnessed in the second unit. There was a tendency to sleepiness at the beginning of 44 percent of the naps considered. In more than a half of the rests, nurses recorded attaining either light (43 percent) or deep (14 percent) sleep. However, they never identified sleep inertia among participants. The mean score of napping was high approximately 7.3 out of 10. Furthermore, those who took a nap felt less drowsy while going back home. As a result, the findings of this research were statistically significant. The study considered two groups; one cluster that implemented napping and the other that was reluctant to adopt napping. The first group noted improved alert during a shift and less drowsy compared to the other. Nurses who did not nap during the shift felt unsteady and slow for example those with 1.3% of naps. Participants reported feeling alert and refreshed after 56.2 percent of rests. The efficiency of napping, the mean score was nearly 7.3 out of 10.

Limitations of the study

The major limitation of this research was sample size employed for the study. The researchers used two hospitals; accessing only six units for the entire examination. Additionally, the study did not collect the data on nurses’ identity; as a result, the investigators did not accomplish the within-subject outcomes. The sample size was small to warrant the understanding of obstacles to the implementation of napping as well as approaches to overcoming them.

One of the advantages of the statistical analysis employed in the research is using standard means, which allows for duplication of the investigation and permit analysis as well as comparison with other scholarships. For instance, investigators obtained a mean KSS score of 6.1 for those nurses who had not taken a nap. However, the disadvantage of the analysis is that it permits the collection of a superficial dataset. For instance, they used only two hospitals while accessing six units.

The study design employed in this research had some limitations that affected the quality of the findings. The design makes it is impossible to examine the temporal association between exposures and results; that it is the method lacks the element of time. Moreover, the design is subject to recall bias hence affecting the findings.

Major Conclusions from the Study

The results obtained in this study were in line with those of Rogers and her colleagues, which exposed that nurses found it hard to have breaks despite working for more than 12 hours (Rogers, Wei-Ting & Linda, 2004). The findings of Geiger-Brown et al. 2016 was also consistent with those of Ruggiero and Redeker that discovered napping to be beneficial to the nurses (Ruggiero & Redeker, 2014). Additionally, the research found that nurse managers’ attitudes towards napping significantly affect the implementation, which is in line with findings of Edward and his colleagues.

The research increases the literature concerning the obstacles hindering the implementation of napping in the healthcare industry. Additionally, it offers new researchers a new platform from where they can begin their investigations. Implementation of nap has remained unsuccessful because of nurse manager’s attitude (Murray, 2017).

However, there is need to undertake further investigation because of this research. Future studies in this area should consider large sample population to allow the investigators to understand the obstacles hindering the success of napping in health care sector and techniques to use in overcoming them. Future study should collect demographic data of respondents to allow assessment of the within-subject results.

References

Murray, E. J. (2017). Nursing leadership and management for patient safety and quality care Performance.

Redeker, N. S., & McEnany, G. P. (2011). Sleep disorders and sleep promotion in nursing practice. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Rogers, A. E., Wei-Ting, H., & Linda, D. S. (2004). The effects of work breaks on staff nurse

Ruggiero, J. S., & Redeker, N. S. (2014). Effects of Napping On Sleepiness and Sleep-Related Performance Deficits in Night-Shift Workers: A Systematic Review. Biol Res Nurs 2014; 16(2):134-42.