Comparison of 12-Hour Biweekly Versus 6-Hour Weekly Shifts on Fatigue in Student Nurses

Abstract

Background: Some challenges affecting student nurse learning include student fatigue, clinical recovery time, and hindered clinical experiences due to students experiencing long clinical shifts.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between 12-hour biweekly and 6-hour weekly shifts on student nurse fatigue.

Methods: A descriptive research design was used with second-year nursing students (N = 80) upon completion of their clinical rotations of four distinct cohorts during 2019-2020. All students in these cohorts were invited to complete the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery (OFER15) online survey, developed and validated to assess the full spectrum of fatigue.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in acute fatigue, chronic fatigue, or the inter-shift recovery subscale for the 6-hour and 12-hour clinical groups. Student nurses, like registered nurses, would likely prefer to choose between a 6-hour and 12-hour clinical shift depending on their individual circumstances. In the parameters of this study, there was no statistical significance in shift length and student nurse fatigue.

Linking evidence to action: Student nurse fatigue levels can affect learning inside and outside of nursing clinical experiences. In this study, no statistical significances were found between 6-hour and 12-hour clinical experiences in second-year nursing students. Offering both the 6-hour and 12-hour clinical experiences provides flexibility for students, clinical sites, and the school of nursing.

Keywords: 12-hour shifts; clinical hours; clinical performance; clinical scheduling; clinical shifts; learning outcomes; long working hours; nurse fatigue; student fatigue; student nurses.