• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.102-109
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• 2024

Background: In today's modern world, longer working hours, shift work, and working at night have become major causes of the disruption of our natural circadian rhythms. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the type of shift work (rotating vs. fixed day), duty period (on-duty vs. off-duty), and working period within each shift (nighttime vs. daytime) on the circadian rhythm characteristics of nurses who provide direct patient care. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a purposive sampling method. Cosinor analysis was applied to analyze the actigraphy data of nurses providing direct patient care for seven consecutive days. The linear mixed effects model was then used to determine any variances between shift type, duty period, and working period within each shift for the nurses. Results: The mesor value did not differ according to nurses' shift type, duty period, and working period within each shift. The amplitude was statistically higher in on-duty nurses and in daytime working hours. The acrophase was significantly delayed in nighttime working hours. As well as nurses in rotating shift had experience. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that the peak activity of nurses occurs significantly later at night while working and nurses working during nighttime hours may have a weaker or less distinct circadian rhythm. Thus, this study suggests that limits be placed on the number of rotating nighttime shifts for nurses.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.191-202
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• 2018

Purpose: This study analyzes the relationship between work-life conflict and turnover intention among hospital nurses. Furthermore, it seeks to determine whether the relationship between the two varies depending on the shift work condition of the nurses. Methods: A total of 435 nurses working at five tertiary hospitals were included in the study. The questionnaire included items on turnover intentions, work-life conflicts, sociodemographic factors, working conditions, and internal and external resources. Results: The level of work-life conflict among shift work nurses was higher than that of non-shift work nurses. The turnover intention was also higher for shift work nurses than for non-shift work nurses. Results from the multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the work-life conflict of nurses had a positive relationship with turnover intention. The effect of work-life conflict on turnover intention was greater for shift work nurses than for non-shift work nurses. Conclusion: Work-life conflict had a greater impact on the turnover intention of hospital nurses working under shift work conditions. Based on this study's findings, it can be suggested that, in order to reduce high turnover intention, it will be necessary to make specific efforts to balance work-life conflict and improve working conditions.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the influence of consecutive night-shift work and working time on insomnia among hospital nurses. Methods: A descriptive correlational research designutilizing secondary data analysis was adopted. Data on consecutive night-shift work, working time, and insomnia were collected from 64 hospital nurses using a Fitbit activity tracker and questionnaires, and analyzed using hierarchical logistic regression. Results: Consecutive night-shift work for more than three days had a significant influence on insomnia among hospital nurses. Weekly working hours also accounted significantly for the variance in insomnia, exceeding the influence of consecutive night-shift work. Conclusion: Development and implementation of proper schedules to control consecutive night-shift work and working time is important to alleviate insomnia among hospital nurses.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.206-213
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare salivary cortisol levels, self-reported occupational stress, and anxiety before duty to those after duty in the shift and regular work nurses, and the relationships among them. Methods: Thirty nurses working in a tertiary hospital participated in the study. Salivary specimens were collected before and after daytime duty for 2 days. The occupational stress and state anxiety were also evaluated using self-report questionnaires. Results: The average level of salivary cortisol was $0.40{\mu}g/dL$ before duty and $0.20{\mu}g/dL$ after duty in Korean nurses. Overall levels of salivary cortisol, self-reported occupational stress, and anxiety were higher in shift working nurses than regular working nurses. In shift working nurses, the salivary cortisol gap between before and after duty was attenuated on the first day of daytime duty. Significant positive correlation was found between the level of cortisol before duty and anxiety after duty. Conclusion: Strategies to alleviate occupational stress and anxiety are needed for shift working nurses, especially for those with elevated levels of cortisol. It seems to require 3days to recover from attenuated cortisol rhythm during nighttime duty in shift working nurses.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.109-116
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the influence of work-life balance and insomnia severity on shift working nurses' health promotion behaviors. Methods: Participants were 152 nurses who worked rotating shifts at a general hospital. Data were collected from August 2 to 16, 2023 and analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 25.0. Results: The participants exhibited high insomnia severity and low scores in both work-life balance and health promotion behaviors. Health promotion behaviors were positively correlated with work-life balance but negatively correlated with insomnia severity. The key factors influencing shift-working nurses' health promotion behaviors included work-life balance (β=.37, p<.001) and gender (female) (β=-.17, p=.026), with an explanatoty power of 18% (F=12.35, p<.001). Conclusion: Work-life balance is a significant variable affecting shift-working nurses' health promotion behaviors. The health of nurses is crucial not only for their personal well-being but also for ensuring the patient safety. Therefore, flexible work systems and adaptable health program schedules must be implemented to promote the health of shift-working nurses.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the working status and Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI) between night shift-fixed nurses and rotating shift nurses. Methods: Participants were 367 nurses working as registered nurses at 7 different medical institutions. The data were collected from August 8, 2016 to September 30, 2016. Results: Night shift fixed nurses were more satisfied with work schedule than rotating shift nurses. Rotating shift nurses reported higher SSI scores, such as chronic fatigue, musculoskeletal problems, than night shift fixed nurses. In SSI's sub-items, rotating shift nurses reported higher scores, such as the amount of sleep, feeling well after sleep, heartburn or stomach-ache and heartbeat irregularities, than night shift fixed nurses. Conclusion: The results indicated that night shift fixed system might be an effective method to improve nurses' work satisfaction. It is necessary to figure out any suitable night shift fixed system based on the characteristics of each nursing organization. The SSI might be an useful tool to measure the nurses' satisfaction in reference to their work shift.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.141-149
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of grit and body composition on fatigue and burnout in shift-working nurses. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design using self-report questionnaires was employed. Data were collected between February and April 2021 from 192 shift-working nurses in 22 units of C tertiary hospitals. Of the 192, 175 nurses returned their completed questionnaires (return rate: 91.1%). The participants objectively measured their body composition for three consecutive days using a home body composition measurement scale. Results: Nurses with higher consistency of interest were more likely to have lower chronic fatigue (B = -5.23, p= .013), lower emotional exhaustion (B = -2.75, p< .001), and decreased depersonalization (B = -1.08, p= .014). Perseverance of effort was not statistically significant for fatigue; however, it was statistically significant for higher personal accomplishment among the subdomains of burnout (B= 2.50, p< .001). Skeletal muscle mass and body mass index had no significant effect on fatigue and burnout. Conclusion: To reduce fatigue and burnout in shift-working nurses, comprehensive efforts at the organizational and individual levels should be implemented to increase their grit. Further research is needed to determine whether body composition affects fatigue and burnout in shift-working nurses.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.165-178
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• 2021

Purpose: To analyze nurses' shift work according to the government guidelines for night work and their perceptions of their work schedules. Methods: The study sample included 487 nurses who provided information on their schedules, including the normal working hours of each shift, and overtime per shift during September 2020. Nurses' perceptions were measured in terms of satisfaction, appropriateness for work-life balance, and fairness to their work schedule. Results: One-third of the respondents worked more than 40 hours per week. The average overtime hour was 1.14 hours per shift. Unsocial hours (8 pm to 6 am on weekdays, midnight to midnight on weekends and public holidays) accounted for 56.4% of all working hours. During their last night shift, on average, nurses worked 9.62 hours and had a break of 39 minutes, although 20.5% reported no break. Sixty-eight percent of nurses had at least one between-shift break shorter than 48 hours after a consecutive night shifts. Fifty-seven percent were satisfied with their schedule. One-third perceived their schedule as appropriate for work-life balance, and two-thirds perceived that days off on weekends and nights were fairly distributed within the unit. Working and overtime hours had an inverse relationship with all three aspects of nurses' perceptions. A higher proportion of unsocial hours and having no breaks during the night shift were associated with lower perceptions of fairness. Conclusion: Reducing working hours, ensuring breaks during night shifts, and increasing rewards for unsocial hours are required to improve nurses' perceptions and reduce turnover due to shift work.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.118-129
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate effects of shift work on married nurses' role conflict and job satisfaction. Method: Study subjects consisted of married nurses employed at four general hospitals with over 500 beds located in Seoul and Kyunggi area. The data were collected from March 15th to April 7th, 2004 using the survey and the subjects were asked to reply through self-administrative method. Results: Mean value of role conflict of nurses who worked shift work was measured 3.12 out of 5, and that of nurses who did not was measured 2.98. Mean value of job satisfaction of nurses who worked shift work was measured 2.79 out of 5, and that of nurses who did not was measured 2.86. There was a significant reverse correlation between mean level of role conflict and of job satisfaction. Both groups, nurses who worked shift work and nurses who did not, showed significant reverse-correlation in two areas. In the case of nurses who worked shift work, role conflict not showed a significant correlation. Job satisfaction showed a significant correlation with the plan to work as a nurse and remuneration in the case of nurses who worked shift work. Duty of supporting family was the factor affecting role conflict and measured 4.2% in the case of nurses who worked shift work, and the plan to work as a nurse and the academic background in the case of nurses who did not work shift work. Conclusion: To reduce role conflict and to improve the degree of job satisfaction, there should be taken a measure to improve a financial compensating system for working shift work for nurses who worked shift work, and to help nurses not working shift work to design plans for their job as nurses with stability.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.49-57
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the meaning of job experiences of fixed night shift nurses participating in a pilot project by a tertiary hospital, and to provide basic information for improving their night shift working environment. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted using individual interviews in September 2022. Three female nurses who worked fixed night shifts were recruited from a tertiary hospital. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: By analyzing the meaning of job experience as a fixed night shift nurse, four categories and nine subcategories were identified. The four categories of job experience of fixed night shift nurses were: expecting an improvement physical health due to predictable working hours, enjoying leisure time due to long off-duty hours, regretting for loosened relationships, and considering a successful settlement of fixed night shift nursing. Conclusion: As night shift work is essential for nurses to provide continuous nursing to patients, it is necessary to develop various strategies to improve the physical health of night shift nurses through fatigue management and good sleep quality, mental health through work-life harmony, and social health through intimate relationships between patients and coworkers.