Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the recovery from work in Finnish home care nurses with objective and subjective recovery measures.
Methods: Heart rate and heart rate variability recordings were performed in home care nurses over a period of one work shift and the following night. Following the measurements, the participants ( N = 91) answered a questionnaire including questions about their self-rated recovery from work and sleep disturbances.
Results: The objectively measured recovery was within the recommended heart rate variability range, yet the self-rated recovery from work was only mediocre. Subjective recovery was not associated with objectively measured recovery.
Conclusions: There is a discrepancy between objectively and subjectively measured recovery from work. Therefore, an additional objective method in occupational field studies, along with questionnaires, is recommended to measure physiological recovery.
Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.