Comparison of Job Satisfaction and Nursing Performance between Nurses on Fixed Nights and Nurses on Three shifts, and Nurses Understanding of Fixed Night Shift System

밤번고정근무 간호사와 3교대근무 간호사의 직무만족도, 간호업무수행정도 비교 및 밤번고정근무제도에 대한 인식

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare job satisfaction and nursing performance of nurses on fixed night shifts (FNS) and nurses working three shifts (W3S), to identify the environment of night work and recognition of the viability of the FNS system. Methods: The research was conducted with 106 nurses on FNS and 257 on W3S. The nurses had worked for 1 to 11 years at A hospital, Seoul. Results: Job satisfaction was significantly higher (t=-3.51, p< .001) for nurses on FNS. However, no significant difference was found for nursing performance (t=-1.019, p=.309) between the two groups. Both groups of nurses were mostly satisfied. Subjective fatigue scores (0 to 10 points) during the night for nurses on FNS (6.02) were lower than for W3S nurses (7.28) A high percentage (88.7%) of nurses on FNS indicated a willingness to further participate in FNS. Conclusion: Results indicate that the demonstration FNS system showed its effectiveness. Therefore, efforts are needed to enhance and revitalize FNS and to upgrade the system to control patient transfer time from emergency departments to wards, and to provide nurses needed resources for emergency or intensive care.