How shift work influences anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia conditions in Italian nurses: an exploratory study

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK. Evidence suggest that the nursing profession is a very complex profession. The aim of the present study is to investigate how nursing shift work influences nurses’ health, particularly if shift work impacts on anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia conditions METHODS. An on-line cohort observational study has been conducted during May 2022 and 408 nurses have been enrolled. RESULTS. Most of the nurses recruited are employed also during the night shift (73.3%) and are very young (p<0.001), as ageing less than 30 years (29.2%) and between 31-40 years (29%). Significant difference has been reported in smoking habit, as nurses who are employed also during the night shift report higher smoking habit than the other comparing groups (p=0.020). No further significant differences according to sex, age, work experience, nursing education, nursing activity, BMI and shift have been found. Finally, no differences have been assessed between anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia conditions according to shift work typologies. CONCLUSIONS. The present study highlights research results already explored in the current literature; however, it collects further information and assesses additional differences, in order to defibe a more complete picture of the nursing profession. (www.actabiomedica.it)