The Impact of Shift Work on Nurses’ Mental Health and Job Performance: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

Abstract

A study conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina aimed to investigate the impact of shift work on the psychosocial functioning and quality of life of hospital nursing personnel. The study involved 150 nurses working in specific shifts, with 51% working in specific shifts and 49% following a regular 7-hour daily schedule. The results showed increased stress, reduced coping abilities, and reduced life enjoyment in shift work nurses compared to day-work nurses. Additionally, anxiety, stress, psych organic symptoms were more common in shift work staff. Nurses working in shifts experienced negative externalities such as decreased social functioning and reduced family and leisure time. However, higher satisfaction rates were only shown in compensation. The study highlights the detrimental effects of shift work and contributes to the research gap in understanding its impact on nursing personnel's overall health. Future studies will need to disentangle the exact interplay between work-related factors in healthcare systems and subsequent psychosocial disorders in health personnel. Further research is needed to better understand the effects of shift work on nursing personnel's mental health.