SACM - Netherlands
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14154/68623
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Item Restricted Improving Sleep Quality in Nurses Who Work Irregular Shifts: Necessity and first steps towards intervention(Maastricht University, 2024) Albakri, Uthman; Meertens, Ree; Kant, IJmert; Gabrio, AndreaThe primary aim of this dissertation was to develop and design a sleep health promotion intervention to improve sleep quality among nurses working irregular shifts, including night shifts. The initial step involved conducting an umbrella review to provide an overview of existing sleep health promotion interventions aimed at improving sleep quality and/or duration among healthy populations and to identify under-researched areas, one of which is nurses working irregular shifts. While the effects of shift work on health and sleep quality among shift workers are well-documented, the impact of irregular shifts specifically on nurses’ sleep quality has not been adequately evaluated. Moreover, the association between sleep quality and the need for recovery—often detrimental to health—remains largely unexplored. This significant research gap has not received sufficient attention. Given the limited evidence on how nurses cope with irregular shifts, understanding their coping mechanisms is crucial for developing effective sleep health promotion strategies to enhance their sleep quality and overall health. Although sleep hygiene strategies have been proposed for the general population, these do not all apply to nurses working irregular shifts, and the effectiveness of such strategies may vary from individual to individual. Additionally, the literature lacks clear guidelines on sleep hygiene strategies specifically tailored for nurses coping with this shift type. Therefore, it is essential to first develop personalized sleep hygiene strategies and assess their feasibility and effectiveness in improving sleep quality among these nurses.6 0