The effect of sleep disturbance on the association between work–family conflict and burnout in nurses: a cross-sectional study from South Korea

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances can lead to work–family conflicts and affect the mental health of nurses. This study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of sleep disturbance on the association between work–family conflict (WFC) and burnout in nurses. METHODS: Responses to a questionnaire from 156 nurses working in a hospital in South Korea were analyzed. Multiple linear regression analysis and PROCESS Macro Model 4 were used to analyze the mediating effect of sleep disturbance on the relationship between WFC and burnout. A bootstrapping approach was used to test the statistical significance of the indirect parameter effects. RESULTS: The WFC of nurses had a positive correlation with sleep disturbance and burnout. Moreover, sleep disturbance completely mediated the association between WFC and burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing administrators should pay careful attention to WFCs that interfere with nurses’ sleep and reduce their sleep quality, and design suitable working schedules that minimize the effects of WFC. In addition, hospital administrators should improve shift scheduling to ensure good sleep quality and reduce the health effects of WFC among nurses.