Work-Related Predictors of Sleep Quality in Chinese Nurses: Testing a Path Analysis Model

BACKGROUND: Good sleep is essential to human health. Insufficient quality sleep may compromise the wellness of nurses and even jeopardize the safety of patients. Although the contributors of sleep quality in nurses have been previously studied, the direct and indirect effects of modifiable work-related predictors remain uncertain. PURPOSE: The study was designed to explore the direct and indirect effects of modifiable work-related factors on sleep quality in Chinese nurses. METHODS: A multistage sampling method was employed in this cross-sectional study to recruit 923 participants. An evidence-based predicting model was postulated and then subsequently tested and optimized using path analysis. RESULTS: The final model fit the data well, with the involved predictors accounting for 34.1% of the variance in sleep quality of the participants. Shift work, job demands, exposure to hazards in work environments, chronic fatigue, and inter-shift recovery were identified as direct predictors, while whereas job satisfaction, job control, support at work, and acute fatigue were identified as indirect predictors. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Sleep quality in Chinese nurses is influenced directly and indirectly by various modifiable work-related factors. Interventions such as adjusting work shifts and reducing job burdens should be prioritized by administrative staff to ensure the sleep quality and clinical performance of Chinese nurses and to subsequently improve nursing care quality.