Shift Work among Nurses in Public Hospitals in the Congo: Consequences on Sleep

Abstract

The negative effects of shift work on sleep are well documented. The requirement for permanent hospital care requires nurses to adopt this organization. The objective of this study was to assess these effects on the sleep of nurses in Congolese public hospitals. This was a multi-centre, cross-sectional descriptive study conducted from January to November 2021 with nurses from nine public hospitals. Data were collected using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The study included 700 nurses with a 22.54% participation rate. Female staff (83.6%) and those aged 30 to 50 (76.1%) were predominant, with 64.9% being nurses and 35.1% being caregivers. The "2X12" work schedule was predominant (66.6%), 73.9% of staff had a continuous pace, and 94.6% had a rapid turnover. Daytime sleepiness, drowsiness and poor sleep quality were observed in 33.6%, 4.9% and 42% of nurses, respectively. Significant associations were found between sleep disorders on the one hand and age, number of dependent children, hours, and pace of shift work on the other. The health impacts of the work, including sleep disorders in nurses in our hospitals, are real and require prevention, which will result in better services for patients.