The Impact of Sleep Quality on the Quality of Nursing Care Provided by Shift Working Nurses: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The requirement for nurses to work in shifts is a critical issue for their health and well-being. Working in shifts disturbs sleeping patterns and degrades sleep quality. This may affect the performance of nurses as well as has adverse effects on health. There is a paucity of information on this topic in the context of Sri Lanka. Using a descriptive cross-sectional study, it was aimed to assess the relationship between quality of sleep and nursing care among nurses in two selected government hospitals. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep quality while nursing care was assessed by three visual analog scales, and fully completed 279 questionnaires were analyzed. A statistically significant association was identified between shift type worked by duration and minor and moderate nursing errors. However, the self-reported error rates were mostly at low rates or unreported. Comprehensively, sleep quality was not associated with the error rates perceived in this study. Results would have been more effective if circadian rhythms and different shifting strategies were assessed. Evaluating selfreported errors limited the study comparatively. There was no overall association between sleep quality and the errors perceived. Current policies, staffing plans, and mechanisms to assist nurses in coping should be updated and implemented in a timely manner in nursing practice.