title: Hospital staff nurses' shift length associated with safety and quality of care.
abstract: The objective of this study was to analyze hospital staff nurses' shift length, scheduling characteristics, and nurse reported safety and quality. A secondary analysis of a large nurse survey linked with hospital administrative data was conducted. More than 22 000 registered nurses' reports of shift length and scheduling characteristics were examined. Extended shift lengths were associated with higher odds of reporting poor quality and safety. Policies aimed at reducing the use of extended shifts may be advisable.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. amywit@nursing.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Amy Witkoski
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Stimpfel
authors.forename: Linda H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Aiken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care