NURSES SLEEP 83 FEWER MINUTES BEFORE WORK DAYS

Researchers asked the nurses how much sleep they usually get, including naps, in the 24 hours prior to a scheduled shift, as well as how much sleep they usually get before a day off.

Researchers also asked about the quality of patient care in their workplace. They measured patient safety using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture.

Nurses reported getting, on average, just under 7 hours (414 minutes) of sleep prior to a work day and more than 8 hours (497 minutes) prior to a non-work day. Thus, the difference in sleep duration between work and non-work days was 83 minutes, or nearly an hour and a half less sleep before a work shift.

In addition, getting less sleep was associated with lower measures of patient safety and quality of care, a finding that may indicate several underlying issues.