Abstract

To look into how Japanese nurses who work shifts are affected by stress, exhaustion, and sleep quality. Design: Self-administered surveys were used in a descriptive correlation design.

Methods: 653 nurses in Japan were given questionnaires on stress, exhaustion, and sleep quality (the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; PSQI-J) between January and February 2015.

Results: Those who felt more tired also felt more stressed (r = 0.774, p = 0.000), less satisfied with their sleep (r = 0.411, p = 0.000), and less healthy overall (r = 0.323, p = 0.000). Moreover, there was a strong correlation between PSQI scores and reported levels of stress, weariness, and health. The PSQI revealed that nurses with stress-relieving resources were younger (t = 2.842, p = 0.005), reported being in better overall health, and needed less time to fall asleep. Conclusions: This study found a link between stress and sleep quality among Japanese nurses who work shifts. Also, nurses who participate in stress-reduction exercises may have improved health and better sleep.