Short sleep and chronic neck and shoulder discomfort in nurses.

OBJECTIVE: Short sleep duration is common among nurses. Sleep restriction has been associated with musculoskeletal discomfort. However, studies on the effect of short sleep duration on chronic neck and shoulder discomfort in nurses have been lacking. The aim of this study was to determine whether short sleep duration is related to chronic neck and shoulder discomfort. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of female nurses in secondary referral health centers in Taiwan. We applied stratified sampling based on region (north, central, south, and east) to select representative centers for this study. A self-administered structured questionnaire, including demographic data, the psychological working environment, and musculoskeletal symptoms, was administered to nurses. Multiple logistic regression and population attributable risk analyses were performed to assess the effect of average sleeping hours per working day on chronic neck and shoulder discomfort. RESULTS: A total of 1602 (78.9%) questionnaires were eligible for final analysis. The prevalence rates of chronic neck and shoulder discomfort were 33.9% and 34.7%, respectively. Population attributable risk estimation revealed that a sleep duration of <7 hours per working day was the most crucial factor for chronic neck and shoulder discomfort in the nurses, accounting for 8.8% of chronic neck discomfort and 8.6% of chronic shoulder discomfort respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study found that sleep duration on working days was associated with chronic neck and shoulder discomfort in female nurses. Further interventions are warranted for maintaining nurses' sleep hygiene.

Psychological Work Environment and Suicidal Ideation Among Nurses in Taiwan.

PURPOSE: Nurses are exposed to a poor psychological work environment; this may cause poor mental health, which is a risk factor for suicidal ideation. We investigated the association between psychological work environment and suicidal ideation among hospital nurses in Taiwan. DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in Taiwan female nurses using stratified sampling by region (north, central, south, and east) to select representative centers for this study. METHODS: A self-report questionnaire including items on demographic data, the psychological work environment, and suicidal ideation was sent to nurses working in hospitals. Multiple logistic regression and population attributable risk analyses were performed to assess the effect of the psychological work environment on suicidal ideation. FINDINGS: A total of 2,734 eligible questionnaires (76.8%) were returned. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 18.3%, and higher risk was found to be associated with the educational level of junior college or below, higher personal burnout, higher client-related burnout, and always feeling stressed at work. Estimation of population attributable risk showed that higher personal burnout, client-related burnout, and always feeling stressed at work were the most crucial factors among nurses, accounting for 19.4%, 8.6%, and 10.5% of suicidal ideation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable proportion of nurses developed suicidal ideation. A poor psychological work environment was a relevant factor for suicidal ideation. CLINICAL EVIDENCE: This study provides relevant knowledge for nursing management levels in preventing the development of suicidal ideation among nurses. Not only for nurses' mental health, but for patient safety and care quality, further studies in improving nurses' psychological work environment are warranted.

Suicidality 6 Years After Occupational Injury.

OBJECTIVE: Suicide attempts can result from traumatic events, including those caused by occupational injury. However, literature on the long-term prevalence rates of suicidality after occupational injury is relatively lacking. This study investigated the long-term prevalence of suicidality after occupational injury. METHODS: Between February 1 and August 31, 2009, 4,403 workers in Taiwan sustained occupational injuries and were hospitalized for 3 days or longer. Surveys were conducted at 3 and 12 months after occupational injury, and 2,308 workers responded to either survey. They were invited to join the follow-up at 6 years after occupational injury, using the Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5), Posttraumatic Symptom Checklist (PTSC), and 1 question on suicidal ideation. Workers with a high score on the BSRS-5 or PTSC were invited to participate in an in-depth psychiatric evaluation using the Chinese version of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). RESULTS: The estimated MINI-diagnosed suicidality rates at 3 months, 12 months, and 6 years after occupational injury were 5.4%, 4.8%, and 9.5%, respectively. Injured workers who reported that the injury majorly affected their physical appearance, experienced additional occupational injury requiring hospitalization for > 3 days, had unstable employment, and had lower income in the past 1 year than that before occupational injury had a higher risk of suicidal ideation. Injury majorly affecting the physical appearance, unstable employment, and lower income than that before occupational injury were the most crucial factors. These factors accounted for 12.7%, 13.2%, and 19.0% of suicidal ideation among the injured workers. CONCLUSIONS: The suicidality rate increased at 6 years after occupational injury. The relevant factors for suicidal ideation were injury severity and work instability. Periodic monitoring of psychological and physical health and economic stability are warranted.

National incidence of percutaneous injury in Taiwan healthcare workers.

We established a standardized surveillance system using the Chinese Exposure Prevention Information Network to estimate the frequency of percutaneous injuries (PCIs) in Taiwanese healthcare workers (HCWs). Fourteen hospitals employing 8,132 HCWs participated and a total of 583 PCIs were reported. The annual number was estimated to be 8,058 PCIs per hospital size, 8,100 per HCWs, and 8,286 per inpatient-day; indicating similar estimates using different denominators. The estimated annual frequency of pathogen-specific PCIs was 1,168 for hepatitis B, 1,263 for hepatitis C, and 59 for HIV. This study documents the annual incidence of PCI among HCWs showing important potential exposure to viral hepatitis and HIV in Taiwan.

The impact of self-perceived job stress on menstrual patterns among Taiwanese nurses.

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of self-reported job stress on menstrual patterns among nurses. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of nursing staff from five psychiatric institutions and four general hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 746 participants were eligible for the final analysis, among whom, 72.3% were ascertained as having a self-perceived high level of job stress. Self-perceived high job stress was significantly associated with irregular menstrual cycles [Adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 4.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.3-7.2] and longer menstrual bleeding periods (more than 7 d) [AOR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.7-3.7], but was not significantly related to long or short menstrual cycles. Overall, this study suggests that nurses' self-perceived job stress may be associated with certain aspects of menstrual dysfunction. Further investigations with prospective follow-up studies and urine hormonal measurements are now recommended to provide additional insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms of our findings.