Nurse Fatigue Case Study

Inadequate rest which results in fatigue has major implications on the health and safety of registered nurses and can compromise patient care. Nurses often work three to four 12 hour shift a week without taking any breaks while on duty. They often have difficult workloads and challenges which can take a toll and impact patient care. I will be taking a look at nurse fatigue and the impact it has on the nurse’s wellbeing, work, and patient care. One of the reasons I selected this problem is that it is very important for nurses to be able to think critically, and clearly. Fatigue can be exacerbated with increased numbers of shifts worked without a day off. When nurses are fatigue unintentional but serious harm can occur to patients. Fatigue in nursing is a reality.

Another rationale for

In 2011 The Joint Commission called attention to healthcare worker fatigue and the impact it was having on patient safety. They found a direct link between healthcare worker fatigue and adverse events. They recommended healthcare facilities assessed their policies to identify fatigue-related risks, such as off-shift hours and consecutive shift work, and review their staffing to address areas that may be contributing to nurse fatigue (Martin, 2015).

There are several approaches to take in solving the problem of nurse fatigue. Firstly, the nurse has an obligation to not going to work if too tired. Schedules should be designed to help with this where nurses are held accountable to pick days that does not contribute to fatigue. In addition, nurses can work as a team and cover each other effectively for breaks. Nurses should be able to take stress free breaks and not have to worry that their patients will not be taken care of. Lastly nurses should be educated on sleep hygiene and the effect it has on patient