One Stop Recruiting & Medical Billing SDVOB

THE NIGHTSHIFT: HOW YOU CAN PREPARE FOR NURSE STAFFING SHORTAGES

One of the hardest things about being a healthcare provider for many is that they have to work long hours and they often have to work overnight. After all, people don’t stop getting sick just because everyone else is sleeping, and accidents can happen any time.

Working the nightshift can quickly lead to burnout for many nurses, and that can cause them to call out sick more often or to quit in search of jobs with more daytime hours. Understanding why the nightshift leads to burnout and then taking the appropriate steps so that you don’t have to repeat your medical recruiting over and over.

Why the Nightshift Leads to Burnout
The primary reason why it’s so hard for most people to work the night shift is that our bodies have an innate circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm tells us when it’s time to be awake and it’s time to sleep, and it is largely connected to the light cycle. Therefore, we tend to feel alert during the day and sleepy at night (or when it is overcast and grey). We can also become less alert, have a more depressed mood, and our body temperature can change.

Typically, being awake and working during the night goes against the body’s circadian rhythm. Working at night makes it harder to regulate body processes, to think clearly, and to maintain a positive and stable mood. Studies have also shown that those who work the night shift are at increased health risk over time, including an increased risk for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, sleep issues, metabolic disorders, and more. Working the night shift has also been shown to increase the risk of obesity and depression.

Alleviating the Effects of the Night Shift
Healthcare facilities cannot stop treating patients in the evening. Facilities like hospice providers, emergency departments, and hospitals must be available 24 hours a day, especially.

However, there are steps that both nurses and their employers can take to ensure that they do not burn out from working the night shift.

To start, you should offer your nurses a slow transition to the night shift. You need to give them plenty of time to change their sleep habits so that their circadian rhythm can shift. Then their bodies will naturally be more alert in the evenings and more sleepy during the day, minimizing their risk of health issues and mood changes.