Can more rest decrease stress and fatigue when taking call?
Disciplines
Nursing
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Healthcare requires coverage around the clock. This requires some health professionals to be on-call so that they can be available if an emergency arises. It is reported that those who take call have increased levels of fatigue and stress. This fatigue sometimes leads to mistakes that affect the safety of patients. It also can affect the health professional’s health, emotions, and cognitive thinking (Choshen-Hillel & Gileles-Hillel, 2021). The frequency and duration of being on-call directly correlate with fatigue. The literature states that fatigue can be mental or physical (de Vries et al., 2017). Few efforts have been used to decrease fatigue and stress. This study aims to raise awareness of how being on-call affects both the patients and the health professional. This study explores how rest can reduce stress and fatigue in health professionals with an on-call requirement. The health professionals that will be included are those working in the cardiac catheterization lab, interventional radiology, post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), and operating room (OR) with an on-call requirement of at least 50 hours per month. Rest will include extra 30 minutes of an uninterrupted break in a quiet room. Participation will be elicited by email and during daily team huddles. Participants will receive an incentive for time and participation. The study will take three months to complete. Stress and fatigue levels will be analyzed by using a self-reported scale from 0-10 immediately before the on-call shift, during the call shift, following the call shift, and following rest.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
Wellstar School of Nursing
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Kristi Brannen
Additional Faculty
Dr. Christie Emerson, Nursing, cemerson@kennesaw.edu
Can more rest decrease stress and fatigue when taking call?
Healthcare requires coverage around the clock. This requires some health professionals to be on-call so that they can be available if an emergency arises. It is reported that those who take call have increased levels of fatigue and stress. This fatigue sometimes leads to mistakes that affect the safety of patients. It also can affect the health professional’s health, emotions, and cognitive thinking (Choshen-Hillel & Gileles-Hillel, 2021). The frequency and duration of being on-call directly correlate with fatigue. The literature states that fatigue can be mental or physical (de Vries et al., 2017). Few efforts have been used to decrease fatigue and stress. This study aims to raise awareness of how being on-call affects both the patients and the health professional. This study explores how rest can reduce stress and fatigue in health professionals with an on-call requirement. The health professionals that will be included are those working in the cardiac catheterization lab, interventional radiology, post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), and operating room (OR) with an on-call requirement of at least 50 hours per month. Rest will include extra 30 minutes of an uninterrupted break in a quiet room. Participation will be elicited by email and during daily team huddles. Participants will receive an incentive for time and participation. The study will take three months to complete. Stress and fatigue levels will be analyzed by using a self-reported scale from 0-10 immediately before the on-call shift, during the call shift, following the call shift, and following rest.