FOCUS GROUP EVALUATION OF NIGHT NURSE SHIFTWORK DIFFICULTIES AND COPING STRATEGIES

Focus group interviews were performed on 45 intensive, care nurses who worked 12-h shifts in a large metropolitan hospital. The purpose of t his study was to identify nurses' perceptions of difficulties associat ed with shiftwork and coping strategies used to combat them. Overall, the findings were not different than those currently discussed in the literature. For example, nurses frequently utilized white noise, telep hone answering machines, and light-darkening shades to improve the qua lity and quantity of day sleep. They also used exercise and increased early shift caffeine consumption to improve night work performance. Ho wever, the major incentive for performing night work for these nurses was a high shift differential that equaled approximately 20% of their hourly salary. Most nurses also felt that group educational interventi ons regarding shiftwork difficulties acid coping strategies would be p referred to individual counseling. The most significant finding of thi s study was the discovery of an extremely high incidence (95%) of auto mobile-related injuries and near-accidents that occurred while driving to and from the workplace, potentially posing a significant public he alth risk.