Exploring the Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Work Performance Among Night Shift Nurses

Posted: Jul 03, 2022

• Scarlett Turner
• Stella Ward
• William Gray

Abstract

This comprehensive study investigates the complex relationship between sleep quality and work performance among night shift nurses, employing a novel mixed-methods approach that integrates physiological monitoring with qualitative phenomenological analysis. Unlike previous research that primarily relied on self-reported measures, our study utilized wearable sleep tracking technology combined with real-time performance assessment through electronic health record analysis and supervisor evaluations. The research followed 245 night shift nurses across three major metropolitan hospitals over a six-month period, collecting data on sleep architecture, circadian rhythm patterns, medication administration accuracy, clinical decision-making, and patient safety indicators. Our findings reveal several previously undocumented phenomena, including a non-linear relationship between sleep duration and performance metrics, with optimal performance occurring at sleep durations that differ significantly from conventional recommendations. We identified distinct chronotype-performance profiles that challenge existing shift scheduling paradigms and discovered that certain sleep quality indicators, particularly REM sleep consistency, were stronger predictors of clinical performance than total sleep time. The qualitative component uncovered nuanced coping strategies and environmental factors that moderate the sleep-performance relationship in ways not captured by quantitative measures alone. This research provides a more sophisticated understanding of how sleep quality impacts nursing performance and offers evidence-based recommendations for healthcare organizations seeking to optimize both staff well-being and patient care outcomes through innovative scheduling and sleep hygiene interventions.