Nurses' Health in Shift Work (Praca pielęgniarek w systemie zmianowym a zdrowie)

Nursing belongs to a group of professions with a distinct character of work. It requires special abilities both in the psychological and physical sphere. Most nurses engage in shift work, which entails an on-going adaptation to changing hours of work, including nighttime. Such a system of work hinders family life and it impacts the employee's health. Shift work may increase the risk of suffering from many conditions and illnesses. It is estimated that only 10% of people on shift work do not experience its adverse effects and approximately 20% must quit due to health problems. A set of non- characteristic health problems resulting from the difficulty to adapt to shift work and late hours in the long run is called shift work intolerance. As a consequence of shift work, workers suffer from biological, health as well as psychosocial effects. In order to avoid adverse effects of shift work and occupational burnout, an appropriate work environment should be created, starting from a nice and friendly atmosphere. Nurses will at- tend to their duties more optimistically in such conditions and the care provided for patients will be of the highest standard.