Effects of Day and Night Shifts on Stress, Anxiety, Quality of Life, and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Nurses

AIM: This study aimed to determine the effects of day and night shift work on stress, anxiety, quality of life, and oxidative stress parameters in nurses. METHOD: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The study was conducted between October 2014 and January 2015. The study sample included 60 nurses working in a university hospital who met the inclusion criteria (n=60). A questionnaire was used to evaluate stress, quality of life, satisfaction with life, and anxiety sensitivity, and blood samples were obtained. In blood samples, total oxidant status and total antioxidant status, cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine levels were measured. Descriptive statistics, t test, analysis of variance, and correlation analysis were performed for statistical analyses. RESULTS: These results revealed that the nurses employed in surgical clinics had a lower quality of life and higher anxiety sensitivity as compared to those employed in other clinics. In addition, significant relationships were detected between total oxidant status, total antioxidant status and cortisol levels and stress, quality of life, satisfaction with life, and anxiety sensitivity. TOS and TAS, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol levels; stress, quality of life, satisfaction with life, and anxiety sensitivity were similar between the nurses working daytime and in shifts. CONCLUSION: As the stress level and anxiety sensitivity of the nurses increased, the total oxidant levels and cortisol levels increasedm and in contrast, the quality of life and overall satisfaction with life decreased.