title: What are 12-hour shifts good for?
abstract: In the UK many hospitals use 12-hour shifts, believing it to be a cost-efficient means of providing 24-hour nursing care on wards. While healthcare organisations need to find ways to deliver nursing care around the clock and efficiency is a key consideration, nurse leaders have raised concerns about ' whether nurses can function effectively and safely when working long hours (Calkin, 2012; Rogers et al, 2004). In this Policy Plus, we focus specifically on what is known about the impact of shift length on patient safety, employee health and quality of care.
mesh_terms: D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D009745:Nursing, Supervisory / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006113:United Kingdom