Nurses reports of actual work hours and preferred work hours per shift among frontline nurses during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic: A cross-sectional survey

ABSTRACT

Background A novel coronavirus disease that emerged in China in December 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread to all over the world, leading to 823 626 people diagnosed and 40 598 deaths globally as of April 1, 2020. Nurses are providing care to patients with COVID-19 who require hospitalization. To ensure adequate response capacity and to maintain the health of nurses at risk of infection, it is important to analyse the actual work hours and the nurses reported preferred work hours per shift among frontline nurses. Objective To analyse the actual work hours and preferred work hours per shift of nurses reports among frontline nurses fighting the COVID-19 epidemic and to explore the influencing factors on the nurses reported preferred work hours. Design Cross-sectional survey Setting(s) This study was conducted in 10 designated hospitals providing treatments to patients with COVID-19 in China. Participants Nurses providing care to patients with COVID-19 in designated hospitals in China. Methods A self-designed questionnaire with open-ended questions was used to assess frontline nurses caring for COVID-19 cases in 10 designated hospitals. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyse the actual work hours, the nurses reported preferred work hours and factors influencing nurses reported preferred work hours among the frontline nurses. Results A total of 109 nurses responded to the survey. The actual work hours per shift among frontline nurses were exceeded the nurses reported preferred work hours [Median (interquartile range) 5.00(2.00) h vs 4.00 (2.00)h;Minmum-Maxmum 4-12 h vs 4-8 h], and 60.55% (66/109) of the nurses regarded 4 h as the preferred number of work hours per shift. Five key themes associated with the influencing factors emerged, including circumstances, personal preventable equipment, the physical and emotional needs of nurse, the safety needs of nurse and work intensity. Conclusions These findings suggest that there is a gap between the actual work hours and the nurses reported preferred work hours among frontline nurses in different units and different posts. The main influencing factors were circumstances, personal preventable equipment, the physical and emotional needs of nurse, the safety needs of nurse and work intensity.