Is our ICU nurses sleepier then our floor nurses?
Recent paper published in Journal of Hospital Medicine from Surani and coll. helped to address this issue with their pilot study.
(Dr. S. Surani is co-editor of this website also)
METHODS: Post-night-shift nurses in the ICU and on general floors (medicine and surgery) were assessed using subjective (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]) and objective (Mean Sleep Latency Test [MSLT]) measures.
RESULTS:
- ESS was abnormal (>8) in 7 of 10 ICU nurses compared with 2 of 10 floor nurses (P < .005), and mean ESS score was also higher (8.7 ± 3.9 vs. 5.6 ± 2.1, respectively; P = 0.042).
- MSLT values for the first nap period were in the pathologic range in the ICU nurses compared with the floor nurses (4.65 ± 5.5 vs. 10.85 ± 7.4 minutes, respectively; P < .05).
CONCLUSIONS: Post-night-shift RNs working in the ICU have a pathologic degree of sleepiness.
Reference: click to get abstract
Surani S, Subramanyan S, Babbar H, Murphy J, Aguillar R. Sleepiness in critical care nurses: Results of a pilot study. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2008; 3(3):200-205
