A shift in working patterns

摘要

Working nights can seriously damage your health and wellbeing. Shift patterns or changes in shift patterns can be difficult and, if the risks associated with work shifts are not properly managed, may lead to ill health and fatigue for a nurse, which could in turn have an impact on patient care. New analysis published by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) showrs that the number of people who work night shifts increased by 275000 (9%) between 2011 and 2016 to 3135000 (TUC, 2016). Shift work has always been a part of a nurse's working life. Working shift patterns, and in particular night shifts, is becoming more established as we move towards a world that is increasingly working around the clock. There are many types of shift patterns and there is no ideal system of shift working. The physical toll on the body of working nights has received much attention, with an important body of evidence demonstrating how working shifts, and particularly night shifts, can lead to cardiovascular problems, obesity, diabetes, breast cancer and other problems (TUC 2015; Royal College of Nursing (RCN),2012).