The Association of Sleep Deprivation on the Occurrence of Errors by Nurses Who Work the Night Shift

PURPOSE To determine the influence of sleep deprivation on the occurrence of errors by registered nurses working in night shift in intensive care departments. METHODS The study utilized a multi-part questionnaire which included items about demographic characteristics, reported medical errors, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) 300 questionnaires were distributed to registered nurses working in intensive care departments. 138 of the 153 (51% response rate) collected questionnaires were analyzed using correlation and stepwise logistic multiple regression. RESULTS Registered nurses who were sleep deprived had worse sleep quality in terms of high PSQI than those who were not. None of the demographic variables was statistically significant, not providing evidence that these variables may explain odds for being sleep deprived in the population. CONCLUSIONS Work schedule changes, offering shorter periods of time on night shift and less working hours in the week may lead to better sleep quality and less sleep deprivation.