Abstract
High stress and poor sleep negatively affect executive function (EF) and are prevalent among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Reductions in EF could impact patient safety and nurse wellbeing. This study examined changes in EF between the start and end of ICU nursing day shifts and predictors of post-shift EF performance.Method: Data from 19 ICU nurses were collected at the start and end of day shifts for each component of EF (working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility). Self-report measures of sleep quality and perceived stress were included to predict post-shift EF performance.
Results: Despite not meeting recruitment targets (N = 34), full datasets were obtained for 19 of 21 recruited participants. No statistically significant pre-post shift differences in EF performance were observed, but some reliable changes were found in inhibition (n = 2) and cognitive flexibility (n = 4). Pre-shift EF was the strongest predictor of post-shift EF. Perceived stress also predicted post-shift inhibition performance.
Conclusion: ICU nurses generally perform well on EF measures despite some reported stress and sleep difficulties. However, high stress may predict lower performance in certain EF aspects at shift end. Future studies with larger samples are warranted to further explore these preliminary findings.
| Date of Award | 20 Sept 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Rachel Paskell (Supervisor), Rachael Bedford (Supervisor) & Ashley Vanstone (Supervisor) |
Keywords
- Executive Functions
- Intensive Care
- Critical Care
- Nurses
- Stress