Chronic and acute fatigue and intershift recovery in undergraduate nursing students working 12 or 6-hour faculty-supervised clinical shifts

Abstract

Background: Nursing student fatigue and recovery time are important considerations.

Purpose: This descriptive research compared chronic/acute fatigue and recovery time between one 12-hour shift or two 6-hour faculty-supervised clinical shifts per week.

Methods: The Occupational Fatigue and Exhaustion Recovery (OFER) scale was completed by undergraduate students in pediatric and obstetrical courses.

Results: The student (N = 106) mean score on OFER was 37.57 for chronic fatigue, 56.57 for acute fatigue, and intershift recovery was 56.57. No differences in chronic fatigue (P = .40), acute fatigue (P = .14), or intershift recovery (P = .35) were found between groups. Nursing students (79%) preferred 12-hour clinical shifts as compared to 21% who chose two 6-hour clinical.

Conclusions: No differences in chronic/acute fatigue or intershift recovery between a 12-hour clinical shift or two 6-hour clinical shifts were found. Nursing students preferred the one 12-hour clinical shift.

Keywords: 12-hour shifts; fatigue; nursing students; recovery time; restorative breaks; shift work.