Study on the Variations of Fatigue of the Clinical Nursing Personnel Caring for the Elderly during Consecutive Working Days

• Main Authors: Chen Kuei Yin, 陳癸吟
• Other Authors: Gi Wei Min
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/50346571995065329169

碩士 === 南開科技大學 === 福祉科技與服務管理所 === 99 === The aim of this study was to investigate the variations in level of physiological and mental fatigue of clinical nursing personnel caring for the elderly during consecutive working days. This study used purposive sampling to select subjects. The nursing personnel working at a district hospital in central Taiwan were enrolled to undergo the measurement of physiological parameters and complete the structured questionnaire on level of fatigue. The questionnaire was developed based on workplace fatigue scale, and the items were adjusted according to the professional properties of nursing. The validity of the questionnaire was verified by three experts. All the subjects were scheduled for 2 consecutive holidays, followed by 5 consecutive working days. The physiological parameters, including respiration, blood pressure, and heart rate, were measured within 20 minutes before and after work on Day 1, Day 3, and Day 5. After the measurement was completed, the subjects were requested to complete the fatigue questionnaire after work. A total of 160 questionnaires were distributed, and 149 effective questionnaires were returned, with a return rate of 93.1%. The results indicate that: 1) In terms of the change in physiological parameters, the change in physiological parameters of nursing staff of irregular job schedule was larger than that of those of regular job schedule and those who worked in shifts. The change in physiological parameters of nursing personnel working at intensive care unit (ICU) was larger than that of those working at wards, special units, and outpatient clinics. The change in physiological parameters of nursing personnel with 1-5 years of service was larger than that of those with other years of service. 2) In terms of fatigue scale, the level of fatigue in serving patients of nursing personnel of irregular job schedule was higher than that of those of regular job schedule and those worked in shifts. The personal fatigue index of nursing personnel working at intensive care unit (ICU) was higher than that of those working at other units. Moreover, the fatigue index of nursing personnel with poor sleeping was also higher. The results could help understand the change in level of fatigue of clinical nursing personnel after consecutive working. The results could be provided as reference for manpower deployment to improve clinical care quality, to reduce the occurrence of abnormal patient safety incident, and to further improve the physiological and mental health, working efficiency, and satisfaction of nursing personnel working in shifts.