Shift Work Case Study

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We have all experienced a jet-lag before, which means we feel tired or even sick because of the time zone change that we have experienced during traveling. This change of sleeping pattern also occurs in the daily lives of those who work with irregular working hours. In hospitals it is very common to change shifts from day to night time due to the fact that hospitals are needed all day around, every day of the year. The staff members mostly take turns with the night shift, which is of course not an arbitrary decision. Due to the increasing demand for flexible working hours, there is also an increase of concerns in safety and productivity regarding the employees. This analysis discusses certain mental and physical health problems that occur with shift-work in hospitals and how these effects can hinder performance. Furthermore I will compare theory with real life practice in the field of shift work.
Shift work effects on health
Shift work has a major effect on the physiological and mental health. One of the most important one is the circadian rhythm, which is the natural biological clock of a person. There are different external and internal factors that contribute to the change of someone’s physiological health, such as lighting, temperature, diet, sleep, hormones and the already …show more content…

Long working hours and irregular sleeping patterns for a long period of time result in chronic sleep loss and a deprivation in concentration. Irregular working schedules also cause a slower response rate, which results in more mistakes during work (Martens, Nijhuis, Boxtel & Knottnerus, 1990; Wickens, Lee, Liu & Becker, 2014). In a work environment such as a hospital, concentration and fast reaction is needed to make the right life depending decisions. Thus, the effects of sleep loss, stress, and cognitive deficits not only harm those who experience it but also their productivity and

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