The PICOT question formulated for the project and the selected qualitative and quantitative articles are related to such a nursing practice problem as impacts of the duration of shifts on nurses’ fatigue and patient outcomes. The problem is that prolonged periods of nurses’ work (12-hour shifts) significantly contribute to their fatigue and stress while negatively affecting care delivery. In the article by Aiken, Aiken, Scott, and Brockelsby (2016), the researchers found that negative delivery outcomes for patients can be observed after 9-10 hours of nurses’ work.
Furthermore, in the article by Yuwanich, Akhavan, Nantsupawat, and Martin (2017), the investigators stated that nurses experience significant stress at work. Thus, the improvement of a working environment with the help of certain interventions can lead to reducing pressure and enhancing patient outcomes. These aspects support the formulation of the PICOT question with the focus on studying how strategies to control stress can positively influence patient outcomes decreasing fatigue in nurses working 12-hour shifts.
In this context, the reviewed articles can be referred to while proposing an evidence-based practice change for nurses. Thus, it can be recommended to organize stress and pressure control programs and training for those nurses who work 12-hour shifts. According to Yuwanich et al. (2017), creating adapted working environments for nurses will eliminate the number of stressors, and they also need to learn how to cope with everyday work pressure.
From this perspective, nurses should be educated on how to use certain stress control strategies and overcome fatigue and pressure. In addition, referring to Aiken et al. (2016), it should be proposed to reduce the number of working hours for nurses to 8 hours per shift if it is possible in the context of a certain facility. These changes can potentially lead to improving outcomes for patients.
References
Aiken, C. E., Aiken, A. R., Scott, J. G., & Brockelsby, J. C. (2016). The influence of hours worked prior to delivery on maternal and neonatal outcomes: A retrospective cohort study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 215(5), 634.e1-634.e7. Web.
Yuwanich, N., Akhavan, S., Nantsupawat, W., & Martin, L. (2017). Experiences of occupational stress among emergency nurses at private hospitals in Bangkok, Thailand. Open Journal of Nursing, 7(6), 657-670. Web.