This descriptive study aimed to identify the effects of fatigue and nursing work intensity on burnout in nurses working night shifts and three-shift schedules. The study included 145 nurses with ≥1 year of clinical experience working in eight genera...
This descriptive study aimed to identify the effects of fatigue and nursing work intensity on burnout in nurses working night shifts and three-shift schedules. The study included 145 nurses with ≥1 year of clinical experience working in eight general hospitals or higher medical institutions (three G, two C, two J, and one D) participating in a nationwide pilot project for a night-shift nursing system. Data were collected from September 1 to October 12, 2024. Research tools included general characteristics, fatigue, nursing work intensity, and burnout measurement tools. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS/WIN 30.0 statistical program. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the general characteristics of the subjects, while the mean, standard deviation, and paired t-test were used to examine the degrees and differences in fatigue, nursing work intensity, and burnout due to night shift and three-shift work. Differences in fatigue, nursing work intensity, and burnout based on general characteristics were analyzed using the independent t-test, One-way ANOVA, and nonparametric tests such as the Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis test, with post hoc analysis conducted using Schéffe’s test. The correlation between fatigue, nursing work intensity, and burnout was analyzed using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient, while hierarchical regression analysis was employed to identify factors influencing burnout.
The results of this study are as follows.
1. The participants’ fatigue during night shift work averaged 2.73±0.60 points, while fatigue during three-shift work averaged 2.53±0.60 points, indicating higher fatigue during night shift work(t=5.14, p<.001). The participants’ nursing work intensity during night shift work averaged 3.23±0.51 points, whereas nursing work intensity during three-shift work averaged 3.27±0.67 points, showing no statistically significant difference (t=-.99, p=.323). Analysis of subareas of nursing work intensity revealed statistically significant differences in the amount and type of work (t=-3.74. p=.001) and physical burden (t=-2.26, p=.025) between night shift and three-shift work. The participants’ burnout during night shifts averaged 2.98±0.45 out of 5 points, while burnout during three-shift work averaged 2.90±0.46 out of 5 points, showing that the burnout score was statistically higher during night shifts than during three-shift work (t=3.39, p<.001).
2. No significant difference in fatigue during night shifts was found based on general characteristics. However, fatigue during three-shift work showed a statistically significant difference based on the presence or absence of rest time (t=-2.65, p=.009).
3. Nursing work intensity during night shifts showed a statistically significant difference based on marital status (t=-2.41, p=.017). For three-shift work, nursing work intensity showed statistically significant differences based on sleep time (F=3.08, p=.049) and rest time (t=-3.73, p<.001).
4. There was no significant difference in burnout during night shift work based on participants’ general characteristics. However, burnout during three-shift work showed a statistically significant difference depending on the presence or absence of rest time (t=-2.75, p=.007).
5. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between burnout during night shift work and both fatigue (r=.813, p<.001) and nursing work intensity (r=.539, p<.001). Similarly, burnout during three-shift work showed a statistically significant positive correlation with fatigue (r=.825, p<.001) and nursing work intensity (r=.666, p<.001).
6. The factors influencing participants’ burnout during night shifts were exhaustion fatigue (β=.622, p<.001), tension fatigue (β=.195, p=.003), and unexpected work situations (β=.123, p=.018), which collectively explained 66% of burnout during night shifts (F=94.369, p<.001). For three-shift work, the factors influencing burnout were exhaustion fatigue (β=.643, p<.001), shift work (β=.172, p=.001), and tension fatigue (β=.140, p=.021), which collectively explained 69% of burnout during three-shift work (F=80.649, p<.001).
The results of this study confirmed that the primary causes of burnout during night shifts and three-shift work were nurses’ fatigue and workload. Therefore, it is essential to establish specific improvement plans to prevent burnout, such as adjusting work cycles, ensuring sufficient rest time, developing a sleep education program, and adding personnel such as a rapid response team and CPR on-call team during night shifts. The results of this study can serve as foundational data for developing interventions to mitigate burnout in nurses who work night shifts and three-shift schedules.
Keywords: Night Shift Pilot Project, Night Fixed Nurse, Three-Shift Nurse, Fatigue, Nursing Work Intensity, Burnout