Nurses Should not Work more Hours During the Shift (Essay Sample)

Nurses Should not Work More Hours During the Shift
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Outline
* Introduction
* Nursing Job Dissatisfaction
* Increased Burnout
* Health Complications
* Counterargument
* Conclusion
Nurses Should not Work More Hours During the Shift
The nursing shift length has been a topic of discussion, as the number of hours a nurse works has specific impacts on patients' safety. Some hospitals adhere to 8-hour shifts, whereas others operate under 12-hour ones. It is highly appealing to nursing professionals to work a 12-hour shift for three days. This gives them more free stretch, where they can enjoy ample time with their families and be occupied with other areas of interest. Although working longer hours per shift may be more rewarding, it has been associated with nursing job dissatisfaction, increased burnout, increased errors and health complications, and in the long run, place the viability of a healthcare facility in jeopardy.
Nursing Job Dissatisfaction
Working for more hours during a shift among nurses is associated with consistent job dissatisfaction, as this increases fatigue. In as much as working in the nursing profession is significantly rewarding, it is emotionally and physically demanding. Even an individual or a nursing professional engaged with successive duties for eight hours can get exhausted, and when the shifts are extended to 12 or 13 hours, the level of fatigue is much higher(Jarrar, Minai, Al‐Bsheish, Meri, & Jaber, 2019). Conversely, such a working arrangement makes the nurses accrue more sleep debts, and in the long run, increases fatigue levels, which translates into commitment of several errors in inpatient care.
Working for more hours per shift in the nursing profession has been considered a recipe for ensuring more errors, especially when the changes go beyond 12 hours. Such errors are most likely to be in the medication administration,