Fitter and healthier nurses, that is the goal of the new ‘chrono schedule’ of the Jeroen Bosch Hospital (JBZ) in Den Bosch. In a trial, nurses in intensive care no longer work all night, but part of it. “These grilles should reduce harmful effects.”
The JBZ is the first hospital to investigate whether nurses feel fitter during their night shifts and recover better after work with the adjusted schedule. They start the new schedule at two times: either early in the morning (from 4 a.m. to the afternoon), or start in the evening and work until 4 a.m.
“Night work is part of healthcare, but it demands a lot from you,” says internist-intensivist Astrid Salet, one of the initiators of the chrono schedule. “It disrupts the day-night rhythm. We know that this has many harmful effects. In the short term, this can lead to sleep and concentration problems and in the long term it can cause cardiovascular disease or diabetes.”
“You’re awake when you should be sleeping and eating when you shouldn’t.”
With the new schedule, there is always part of the night left for sleeping and the natural rhythm is less disturbed. “With less sleep deprivation you become a lot sharper. Your concentration and memory improve. And people generally feel better because they can sleep before or after work.”
Twenty ICU nurses are participating voluntarily in the trial. Kaylee van Elderen is one of them. “During a normal night shift, staying awake until 7 a.m. can be a chore,” she says. “You’re awake when you should be sleeping and eating when you really shouldn’t be. That causes stomach complaints and makes you feel vomit.”
“It seems like a success so far.”
The first reactions to the new initiative are positive. “I was happy that we were going to try something new, because you know and notice what the night shift does to you in the long term,” says Van Elderen. “Of course it is never completely ideal, because you continue to work partly at night. But this is a good solution to make it healthier.”
The trial has now been running for a month and will end at the end of November. “It seems like a success so far,” Salet says. “The nurses indicate that they are much less tired, have a better mood and have less stomach problems.”
If the results are positive, the hospital will examine whether and how the chrono schedule can also be introduced in other departments.
