title: Recovery between Work Shifts among Emergency Medical Services Clinicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Shift workers regularly report sleep problems, fatigue, and the need for recuperative rest between shifts (intershift recovery). We sought to characterize intershift recovery among emergency medical services (EMS) workers and the role of worker demographics and work-related factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We combined cross-sectional survey data from two studies of EMS shift workers who completed standardized instruments, including the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery (OFER) scale. A multivariable regression identified demographic and work factors most strongly associated with intershift recovery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean intershift recovery among 450 EMS workers varied by clinical setting, general health status, length of work shift, sleep quality score, fatigue score, and daytime sleepiness. Recovery was better for EMS workers who report greater satisfaction with their schedule, higher for shift schedules >12 hours, and lowest for individuals who usually work 12-hour shifts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this sample of EMS workers, greater recovery between shifts is associated with satisfaction with scheduling and longer shift length. There were weaker associations of recovery with health status, sleep quality, and workplace fatigue. Future studies should address the relationship of intershift recovery with time off between shifts, workload, and workplace safety and performance.
authors: P Daniel
authors: PD
authors: Patterson
authors: Daniel J
authors: DJ
authors: Buysse
authors: Matthew D
authors: MD
authors: Weaver
authors: Clifton W
authors: CW
authors: Callaway
authors: Donald M
authors: DM
authors: Yealy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance
keywords: EMS; fatigue; recovery; shift work; sleep