Poor sleep, fatigue linked to clinical-decision regret in nurses

(HealthDay)—Among critical care nurses, clinical-decision regret is associated with sleep disturbances and the resulting fatigue, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Critical Care.

Linda D. Scott, R.N., Ph.D., from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing, and colleagues examined the correlation between selected sleep variables, fatigue-related impairment, and clinical-decision self-efficacy and regret in a cohort of 605 critical care nurses.

The researchers found that 29 percent of the nurses reported decision regret. Compared to those without decision regret, those with decision regret also reported more fatigue, more daytime sleepiness, less intershift recovery, and worse sleep quality. Significant associations were seen for male gender, working a 12-hour shift, and clinical-decision satisfaction with decision regret (C statistic, 0.719).

"Critical care nurses who experience impairments due to fatigue, poor sleep, and inability to recover between shifts are more likely than unimpaired nurses to report clinical-decision regret," the authors write.