On-shift and daily variations in self-report and performance measures in rotating-shift and permanent night nurses

Abstract

An intensive study was conducted of the influence of type of shift system, type of shift, and time-into-shift on a battery of on-shift and daily measures obtained from 61 female nurses over a 28-day period. Thirty-two rotating-shift nurses and 28 permanent night nurses recorded data on a hand-held computer at the start and end of each day, and every 2-h during their shifts. The measures included a sleep diary, self-ratings of mood, workload, and personal disruption, and two cognitive performance tasks. These results suggest that the permanent night nurses were no worse off and for some measures were actually better off than the rotating-shift nurses after controlling for differences in age and shiftwork experience; the night-shift was problematic for the rotating-shift nurses but so was the early shift; mood deteriorated and reaction time got slower over the course of the night-shift but extra long responses (which may correspond to lapses of attention) and rated workload were lower on the night-shift. The relatively large number of consecutive night-shifts worked by the rotating-shift nurses, the uneven distribution of workload between shifts, and the long night-shift may have contributed to these results.     

Shiftwork effects in nuclear power workers: A field study using portable computers

Abstract

This field study of nuclear power shiftworkers reports the use of hand-held computers to record alertness levels, cognitive task performance and workload ratings. Subjective ratings and performance tasks (Search and Memory-5 (SAM-5); Choice Reaction Time (CRT) were completed on the computers at 2-h intervals during selected shifts in the work schedule by maintenance crews and reactor operators. Sleep duration and quality data were also obtained during the 35-day shift cycle. Workload remained relatively stable across shifts. The night-shift was associated with shorter sleep durations and poorer sleep quality. Significantly lower levels of alertness and poorer perforniance for components of the performance tasks were also observed on the night-shift. Tinic-on-shift effects on alertness were evident, where by for the night-shift, especially, alertness dropped dramatically during the early hours. Components of SAM-5 performance showed differential time-on-shift patterning relative to each shift whereas CRT was unresponsive to time-on-shift effects. Significant variations were observed in alertness and performance components during the 12-h night-shift. Perhaps paradoxically, performance on the 12-h night-shift appeared to improve rather than deteriorate during the early-hour period that was associated with the greatest drop in alertness. This was suggestive of extra effort expenditure during this critical period.     

On-shift and daily variations in self-report and performance measures in rotating-shift and permanent night nurses

An intensive study was conducted of the influence of type of shift system, type of shift, and time-into-shift on a battery of on-shift and daily measures obtained from 61 female nurses over a 28-day period. Thirty-two rotating-shift nurses and 28 permanent night nurses recorded data on a hand-held computer at the start and end of each day, and every 2-h during their shifts. The measures included a sleep diary, self-ratings of mood, workload, and personal disruption, and two cognitive performance tasks. These results suggest that the permanent night nurses were no worse off and for some measures were actually better off than the rotating-shift nurses after controlling for differences in age and shiftwork experience; the night-shift was problematic for the rotating-shift nurses but so was the early shift; mood deteriorated and reaction time got slower over the course of the night-shift but extra long responses (which may correspond to lapses of attention) and rated workload were lower on the night-shift. The relatively large number of consecutive night-shifts worked by the rotating-shift nurses, the uneven distribution of workload between shifts, and the long night-shift may have contributed to these results.     

Signs of struggle (SOS): The development and validation of a behavioural mental health checklist for the workplace

ABSTRACT

For managers to successfully support employee access to mental health resources, they must first be able to recognise if and when an employee may need help. To manage employees effectively, managers must be able to recognise changes in employees’ work behaviour that may indicate when an employee is struggling at work. In study 1, we develop and establish the structure of the 20-item Signs of Struggle (SOS) checklist as comprising five factors that describe the warning signs of health impairment at work (i.e. distress, withdrawal, reduced attendance, degradations in performance, extreme behaviours). In study 2, we show that manager-rated signs of struggle correlated substantially (r?=?.72) with participant-reported strain. The SOS tool provides managers a way to recognise when employees may be struggling and could benefit from workplace resources. We recommend that for maximal benefit, managers also receive training on how to use the SOS, and also on how to approach and assist employees who are displaying warning signs.     

Dealing with shift work: Physical fitness, temperature, and napping

This paper reviews the effects of generally controllable factors such as physical conditioning, ambient temperature, and amount of prior sleep in adjustment to night work periods and shift work. One can expect a 5-10% decline in capacity for work in nocturnal work periods as compared to daytime work periods. This decreased capacity would dissipate if workers maintained a consistent sleep-wake routine for 8-16 days after moving to a new shift. Proven means for accelerating this adaptation are currently not available. The ability to perform work also declines as the length of the work period increases but depending upon individual tasks. Physical conditioning improves mood and general well-being, but no strong evidence currently indicates that conditioning increases tolerance or adjustment to shift work.

Increased ambient temperature increases the stress of work, although studies do not address heat as a factor in adjustment to shift work. While lower nocturnal temperature would be assumed to reduce heat stress during night shifts, supporting data does not exist. Studies have not addressed the negative consequences of cold stress or of rotating from night to day shifts with added heat stress.

The proper use of short sleep periods either as preparation for or as a response to a shift change can ameliorate some effects of shift rotation. Data indicate that performance on 'graveyard' shifts can be maintained close to baseline levels following true prophylactic naps while performance may decline by up to 30% when such naps are not taken. While there is evidence that naps or even rest periods without sleep are beneficial in improving mood in normal young adults, these data do not apply to 'replacement' naps. Studies of interjected naps imply that such naps do reduce sleep debt but do not imply that such naps are more beneficial than longer sleep periods. Naps appear to be most advantageous when the accumulated sleep debt is least.     

Fairness Perceptions of Work−Life Balance Initiatives: Effects on Counterproductive Work Behaviour

This study examined the impact of employees' fairness perceptions regarding organizational work?life balance initiatives on their performance of counterproductive work behaviour (CWB). Moderating effects of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism were also explored. Quantitative data collected from 224 public sector employees demonstrated significant main and moderating effects of informational justice, adaptive perfectionism and maladaptive perfectionism on CWB. Adaptive perfectionism weakened the link between informational justice and CWB, while maladaptive perfectionism strengthened it. Qualitative data collected from 26 employees indicate that both the social exchange and job stress models are useful frameworks for understanding CWB in the context of work?life balance initiatives; CWB emerged as both a negative emotional reaction to unfairness and as a tool used by employees to restore equity in the exchange relationship with their employer. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Psychophysical conditions and hormonal secretion in nurses on a rapidly rotating shift schedule and exposed to bright light during night work

Abstract

The psychophysical conditions of 15 young female nurses, working in a rapidly-rotating shift system (2-2-2-2), modified according to some psychophysiological criteria, and exposed to short period (4 × 20 min) of bright light (2350 Lux) during their night duty, were studied in order to evaluate their adaptation to night work and to test a possible positive effect on it of bright light. Subjective evaluations of work load and psychophysical conditions, performance measures, hormonal excretion (cortisol, 6-sulphatoxymelatonin and catecholamines), oral temperature and activity-sleep logs were taken during the shiftwork cycle, comprising one morning, one afternoon and two consecutive nights under normal and bright light. The results showed that this rapidly-rotating shift system had little effect upon the normal circadian rhythms of the body. Moreover, the lengthening of the night shift to 10 h can be considered to be acceptable, provided that work load is reduced and there are sufficient rest pauses available. On the other hand, the reduction to 7 h of the length of the day shifts and delayed start of the morning shift to 07:00 h appeared to be convenient both in relation to the work load and sleep duration. Some positive effects of bright light upon psychophysical conditions and performance efficiency were noted, while hormonal excretion and body temperature did not show any effect of bright light; in particular, melatonin excretion was not suppressed appreciably by the bright light used.     

Work absence as a function of a national traumatic event: The case of Prime Minister Rabin's assassination

Most research on absenteeism has focused on the effects of individual and work-related factors, to the exclusion of the effects of societal and political events external to the individual and his/her specific work conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the emotional reaction to the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin in Israel and work absenteeism during the period following the assassination. It was hypothesized that: (1) emotional reaction is positively related to absenteeism; (2) this relationship is stronger among female employees than among male employees; and (3) this relationship is stronger for individuals who are pessimistic about the future as opposed to those who are optimistic. These hypotheses were supported by data collected from a random sample of 199 working adults.     

Trajectories of effort-reward imbalance in Swedish workers: Differences in demographic and work-related factors and associations with health

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to identify trajectories of effort-reward imbalance (ERI), to examine these with respect to demographic (age, gender, socio-economic position) and work-related (employment contract, work hours, shift work, sector) factors, and to investigate associations with different health indicators (self-rated health, depressive symptoms, migraine, sickness absence). The study used four waves of data (N?=?6702), collected biennially within the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH). Using latent class growth modelling, we identified four trajectories: a stable low imbalance trajectory, which comprised 90% of all participants, and three change trajectories including a decreasing trajectory (4% of the participants), an inverted U-shaped trajectory and an increasing imbalance trajectory, both in 3% of the participants. Results indicate that a sizeable proportion of Swedish employees’ experience imbalance between efforts and rewards at work. The most favourable trajectory comprised relatively more men and was characterised by better work-related characteristics than the less favourable ERI trajectories. All change trajectories were dominated by women and employees in the public sector. Health developments followed ERI trajectories, such that less favourable trajectories associated with impaired health and more favourable trajectories associated with better health. Sickness absence increased among all ERI trajectories, most so for the decreasing and increasing ERI trajectory.     

Shiftwork effects in nuclear power workers: A field study using portable computers

This field study of nuclear power shiftworkers reports the use of hand-held computers to record alertness levels, cognitive task performance and workload ratings. Subjective ratings and performance tasks (Search and Memory-5 (SAM-5); Choice Reaction Time (CRT) were completed on the computers at 2-h intervals during selected shifts in the work schedule by maintenance crews and reactor operators. Sleep duration and quality data were also obtained during the 35-day shift cycle. Workload remained relatively stable across shifts. The night-shift was associated with shorter sleep durations and poorer sleep quality. Significantly lower levels of alertness and poorer perforniance for components of the performance tasks were also observed on the night-shift. Tinic-on-shift effects on alertness were evident, where by for the night-shift, especially, alertness dropped dramatically during the early hours. Components of SAM-5 performance showed differential time-on-shift patterning relative to each shift whereas CRT was unresponsive to time-on-shift effects. Significant variations were observed in alertness and performance components during the 12-h night-shift. Perhaps paradoxically, performance on the 12-h night-shift appeared to improve rather than deteriorate during the early-hour period that was associated with the greatest drop in alertness. This was suggestive of extra effort expenditure during this critical period.     

Attitudes of nurses towards 8-h and 12-h shift systems

Abstract

Twelve-hour shift schedules are becoming increasingly popular. The present study was designed to investigate the attitudes of nurses, their priorities with respect to working time and other aspects of the working conditions, and to analyse the conditions leading to a diminished satisfaction with the shift schedule and to aspirations for a change of schedule. Questionnaires were returned by 880 nurses (78% return rate) from 12 hospitals. A total of 65% worked 12-h shifts and 35% worked 8-h shifts. A considerable proportion of both groups showed a low satisfaction with their schedule and a desire to change the schedule (44% of those working 12-h shifts, 47% of those working 8-h shifts). Concerning effects of the shift schedule on work strain, continuity of service, health, family and leisure time, 8-h shifts were rated more favourably, especially by those working these shifts, but also by nurses working 12-h systems, with the exception of effects on leisure time and to some extent also on continuity of service and on family. Effects of the shift schedule on social responsibilities and leisure time activities turned out to be a major moderating variable in both groups with respect to schedule satisfaction and attitudes towards a change of schedule. Apparently neither type of shift system, traditional 12-h shift rosters or rotating 8-h shifts, is very appealing to the nurses. A stronger relationship between social consequences and health state in nurses working 12-h shifts indicates that in this group negative effects on family and leisure time might be due to an increased need for recuperation, which reduces effective leisure time.     

Bricks without clay: On urban myths in occupational health psychology

Abstract

There is a lack of intricate research into the relationships between work performance and other variables. This study examined the causal relationship between work, non-work stressors, and work performance. Using longitudinal multi-group data from three groups—university staff, trainee nurses, and part-time employees (overall N=244)—structural equation modelling was employed to explore one-way and reverse competing models. The results produced a good fitting model with one-way causal paths from work-related and non-work stressors (time 1) to job performance (time 2). Nested model comparison analysis provided further evidence to support this best fitting model, emphasizing the strong influence that non-work factors have within the workplace. This study has important implications for theory, methodology and statistical analysis, and practice in the field of work-related stressors and performance.     

Staffing a Multiskilled Workforce with Varying Levels of Productivity: An Analysis of Cross-training Policies*

Service operations that utilize cross-trained employees face complex workforce staffing decisions that have important implications for both cost and productivity. These decisions are further complicated when cross-trained employees have different productivity levels in multiple work activity categories. A method for policy analysis in such environments can be beneficial in determining low-cost staffing plans with appropriate cross-training configurations. In this paper, we present an integer linear programming model for evaluating cross-training configurations at the policy level. The objective of the model is to minimize workforce staffing costs subject to the satisfaction of minimum labor requirements across a planning horizon of a single work shift. The model was used to evaluate eight cross-training structures (consisting of 36 unique cross-training configurations) across 512 labor requirement patterns. These structures, as well as the labor requirement patterns, were established based on data collected from maintenance operations at a large paper mill in the United States. The results indicate that asymmetric cross-training structures that permit chaining of employee skill classes across work activity categories are particularly useful.     

Stress states in nuclear operators under conditions of shiftwork

Abstract

This study examined the stress states experienced by nuclear power operators at work under an existing shift system, time-on-shift effects and the manner in which these states may be moderated by achievement motivation and a sense of coherence. The results show an incidence of stress states during evening shifts and night-shifts in the operators, which are primarily characterized by increased distraction as well as by enhanced sleepiness and low irritability. The night-shift was found to be the most problematic one in terms of increased sleepiness and distractibility, and reduced alertness. An abrupt fall in alertness during the evening shift and a considerably increased distractibility at its end were observed. These facts, as well as the lack of recuperation from daily domestic activities and caring for children at the start of the shift, suggest that besides the night duty, the evening one also constitutes a serious challenge to operational safety at this nuclear facility. Correlations found between personality characteristics and sleepiness, distractibility and irritability, indicate personal resources as important modifiers of stress states. A narrowing in the effects of motivation and sense of coherence was found in the evening shifts and night-shifts. The results have practical implications for intentional modifications of personal resources at nuclear facilities.     

Health, well-being and burnout of ICU nurses on 12- and 8-h shifts

It is generally agreed that some features of shift systems can influence the extent of well-being and health problems experienced by the workers involved. Extended working days (9-12 h) have been found to aggravate some problems associated with shiftwork, especially when the work is mentally and emotionally demanding. The aim of the study was to compare measures of health, sleep, psychological and social well-being, job satisfaction and burnout of ICU nurses on 12- and 8-h shifts. The groups of subjects were matced for age, length of shiftwork experience, marital status and number of hours worked. the 12-h shift nurses, when compared to their 8-h shift colleagues, experienced more chronic fatigue, cognitive anxiety, sleep disturbance and emotional exhaustion. Job satisfaction seems to be independent of the shift duration. The nurses on 12-h shifts reported less social and domestic disruption than those on 8-h shifts. The 12-h shift nurses showed worse indices of health, well-being and burnout tan the 8-h shift nurses. It is suggested that this may be associated with their longer daily exposure to the stress of work. The increased number of rest days of 12-h shift nurses seems tobe insufficient to dissipate the adverse health and well-being effects that built up over their longer shifts.     

The Effects of Graphic Feedback,Goal Setting,and Manager Praise on Customer Service Behaviors

Abstract

The current study used a multiple baseline design to investigate the effects of graphic feedback, goal setting, and manager praise on customer service behaviors in a large retail setting. Direct observation of customer greeting, eye contact, and smiling was used to collect data. After baseline data were collected feedback graphs were posted twice each week in the employee break room. A second intervention phase included goal setting and manager praise. Goals were developed based on employees' prior performance and were posted on the graphs. Managers then delivered immediate, verbal praise to employees. Graphic feedback produced slight increases in the customer interaction variables in the front of stores 1 and 2. Another small increase in performance was seen in the back of store 1 and the front and back of store 2 with the implementation of the interventions.     

Compensation for inconvenience: The utility of shift systems

Abstract

This study is part of a larger study airned at the development of a system for quantifying the inconvenience of shift schedules and schedule characteristics. The results can be used to reduce inconvenience (counter-value compensation) and to compute the monetary (counter-weight) compensability of shift schedules. The results presented here show that consensus exists among subjects from different organizations and with different background characteristics on the utility of several features, e.g. working at inconvenient hours, the irregularity of a schedule, and working during the evening (which has a positive value). The opinions slightly differ with respect to some other characteristics, such as very long shifts, work during the weekend and the average sequence length. The differences are possibly due to job characteristics.     

Human capital practices of Russian enterprises

Abstract

The goal of this study was to explore current human capital (HC) management practices (including training and development, recruitment and selection, compensation, empowerment, diversity, and work/family balance) of Russian enterprises. The data were collected at 270 large, medium and small enterprises in Moscow and four representative regional centers. The study results suggest that Russian firms tended to emphasize current HC needs, not long-term HC development strategies. The firm size had an effect on differences in training, selection and compensation practices, with large firms being more long-term oriented. Correlation between elements of the HC management model provided some preliminary evidence that Russian firms tried to coordinate selection, compensation and training procedures. In addition, firms that empowered their employees were also putting more emphasis on long-term oriented training, selection and compensation practices. Finally, there were signs that diversity was gradually becoming an important issue for Russian enterprises of all sizes. However, compared to diversity, companies' emphasis on helping their employees to deal with the work/family balance issues was much stronger.     

Foreign language skill,anxiety, cultural intelligence and individual task performance in global virtual teams: A cognitive perspective

Global virtual teams (GVTs) operate in a globally dispersed work environment, principally relying on communication and information technologies to achieve work tasks. In this work context, using language effectively is crucial. We utilize the cognitive perspective to explain how foreign language use in a GVT influences individual task performance. This study employs (a) cognitive neuroscience of foreign language processing perspective to explain the relationship between foreign language skills and individual task performance; (b) the theory of cognitive load to explain foreign language anxiety as a pathway that further explains how low-level foreign language skill negatively influences individual task performance; and (c) the theory of intelligence to examine the conditional role of cultural intelligence in the mediation process. Utilizing 294 data pairs (collected from GVT members and their respective supervisors) in a multinational offshoring firm, we found support for the mediation process and the conditional influence of the dimensions of cultural intelligence in reducing the negative effect of foreign language anxiety on individual task performance in GVT.     

不充分就业感知对员工兼职创业投入的影响机制研究

基于情感-认知评价的理论视角,在控制了工作满意度路径之后,通过对311名兼职创业者的实证数据进行分析,探究了员工不充分就业感知的两个维度——资质过剩感和成长缺乏感对员工兼职创业投入的作用机理。研究结果表明:资质过剩感、成长缺乏感以及两者的交互作用会强化员工与本职工作的疏离感;工作疏离感正向影响员工兼职创业投入;工作疏离感在资质过剩感、成长缺乏感及其交互作用对兼职创业投入的影响中发挥了中介作用。