Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Sep/Oct;45(5):261-264.
doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000826.

Length of Clinical Shift on Quality of Care, Learning Outcomes, and Satisfaction in Prelicensure Nursing Programs: Review of Literature

Diane J Hamilton  1 , Julie A Benson, Rebecca Callahan
Affiliations
Review

Length of Clinical Shift on Quality of Care, Learning Outcomes, and Satisfaction in Prelicensure Nursing Programs: Review of Literature

Diane J Hamilton et al. Nurse Educ. 2020 Sep/Oct.

Abstract

Background: Some schools and nursing care organizations have implemented 12-hour shifts for students' clinical experiences.

Purpose: The aim of this review was to identify how student 12-hour shifts compared to shifts of less than 12 hours influence patient safety, care quality, learning outcomes, and student, faculty, and staff satisfaction.

Methods: Searches for academic literature using electronic databases resulted in 13 primary research articles covering the period between 1982 and 2018.

Results: During longer clinical shifts, no change in patient safety events occurred. Students and clinical staff perceived care quality was maintained or influenced positively. Faculty were undecided or minimally did not believe care quality improved. While students perceived meeting learning outcomes, faculty perceptions were divided. Students were satisfied with longer shifts; however, the satisfaction of faculty and clinical staff was mixed.

Conclusions: Within realms of patient safety, care quality, learning outcomes, and student, faculty, and clinical staff satisfaction, research has been insufficient and inconclusive regarding 12-hour student shifts.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Harris R, Sims S, Parr J, Davies N. Impact of 12h shift patterns in nursing: a scoping review. Int J Nurs Stud. 2015;52(2):605–634.
    1. Stimpfel AW, Sloane DM, Aiken LH. The longer the shifts for hospital nurses, the higher the levels of burnout and patient dissatisfaction. Health Aff (Millwood). 2012;31(11):2501–2509.
    1. Dall'Ora C, Griffiths P, Ball J, Simon M, Aiken LH. Association of 12 h shifts and nurses' job satisfaction, burnout and intention to leave: findings from a cross-sectional study of 12 European countries. BMJ Open. 2015;5:e008331.
    1. Clendon J, Gibbons V. 12 h shifts and rates of error among nurses: a systematic review. Int J Nurs Stud. 2015;52(7):1231–1242.
    1. Melnyk BM, Orsolini L, Tan A, et al. A national study links nurses' physical and mental health to medical errors and perceived worksite wellness. J Occup Environ Med. 2018;60(2):126–131.

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources