The mediating effect of shift sleep disorder on work- family conflict and burnout among shift nurses

Objective To examine the prevalence of shift-related sleep disorders, work-family conflict, and job burnout among shift-working nurses, as well as to analyze the mediating role of shift-related sleep disorders in the relationship between work-family conflict and job burnout within this population. Methods A convenience sampling method was used to select 401 registered on-duty shift nurses from a tertiary grade A hospital in China for a questionnaire survey. The survey utilized a general information questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Maslowskis Job Burnout Scale (MBI-GS), and the Work-family Conflict Scale (WFC). A multiple hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the mediating role of sleep disorders in the relationship between work-family conflict and job burnout. Results Ultimately, 363 shift nurses took part in the survey, the average score for sleep quality was 9.29±3.68. The average score for work-family conflict was 70.19±17.62. The average score for burnout was 2.32±0.57. Work-family conflict was positively correlated with shift sleep disorders and burnout, and shift sleep disorders played a mediating role in the relationship between work-family conflict and burnout, with a mediation effect of 0.0566, accounting for 15.77% of the total effect. Conclusion Nursing managers should pay high attention to the hazards of shift sleep disorders. By reasonably allocating nursing human resources and improving shift schedules, it can ensure that nurses get adequate rest after night shifts. Nursing managers should also focus on providing psychological support to reduce the occurrence of shift sleep disorders among nurses. Nurses themselves should actively seek family support, develop good sleep habits and improve sleep quality to enhance their professional health and ensure patient safety and care quality.