Sleep Deprivation In Nursing Essay

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Sleep Deprivation in the Nursing Profession
Sleep deprivation is known as a condition of not getting enough sleep that can affect the brain and cognitive functions. "It occurs when a person sleeps for fewer hours than necessary over multiple days or week" (Eanes, 2015). When we think of nurses we are reminded of people who promote the health of others. However, many are unknowingly compromising their own health by working those 12-hour shifts. Many times, its more than 12 hours when they are finally able to go home. These long hours and minimal amount of sleep can be associated with learning, judgement, and memory impairments. Knowing the symptoms, effects/ risks, and management of sleep deprivation can help nurses and physicians address and be aware of the problem early on.
Symptoms of Sleep Deprivation
There are many symptoms that can be observed in someone who is sleep deprived. Especially in the nursing field, we …show more content…

If a nurse has not had adequate sleep, they will be putting themselves and their patients at risk. "The number of errors made by nurses increases when nurses work more than 12 hours in a shift or more than 40 hours per week (Lally, 2009). Nurses also play an important role in tracking down and correcting medical errors, "nurses may be the first and sometimes last line of defense in preventing errors before they reach the patient" (Lally, 2010). When sleep deprived your memory and cognitive abilities aren't functioning as normal, and as a nurse you need these skills functioning properly and quickly. Motor vehicle accidents are also a terrible risk they could take after working those long hours. In a 2007 study " of 895 hospital staff nurses, 596 (66.6%) reported having driven while drowsy at least once during the 28-day study period, and 30 (3.4%) said they drove while drowsy following every shift they worked" (Eanes,