Page 173 - Petelin, Ana, Nejc Šarabon, Boštjan Žvanut, eds. 2017. Zdravje delovno aktivne populacije ▪︎ Health of the Working-Age Population. Proceedings. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 173
e impact of shift work on cardiovascular
diseases among nurses
Tanja Ritonja, Dragana Pejnović, Lucija Roblek, Andrej Starc
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Zdravstvena pot 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
tanjaritonja@gmail.com; pejnovic.dragana@gmail.com; lucija.roblek@gmail.com;
andrej.starc@zf.uni-lj.si
Abstract
Shift work is defined as the work, which is time-permanently or
frequently disposed outside the standard operating time. It affects the
majority of bodily functions which are synchronized with the 24-hour
circadian rhythm. The most pronounced impact on sleep, on an
autonomous vegetative processes and the ability to work. Nurses in order
to ensure quality and continuous care work within these flexible working
time, which still remains a necessary form of their work. Numerous
studies have shown that age and the years of doing shift work among
nurses increases susceptibility to internal desinhronisation and thus to a
reduced tolerance for shift work, which is manifested by the appearance
of health problems associated with shift work. Neurovegetative reactions
in response to the collapse of the circadian rhythm, leading to increased
hormonal reactions, which together with other risk factors lead to
an increased risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. A review
of Slovenian and foreign scientific literature confirm and reduce the
existence of evidence to support the theory on the impact of shift work
on the incidence of cardiovascular disease in nurses. The findings
show solutions, because we are faced with the need to define additional
strategies that will reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in
nurses and the negative consequences in health care institutions and the
general public policy.
Key words: nurse, shift work, circadian rhythm, cardiovascular disease
In recent decades, we are faced with the increasing complexity of health
systems (Pryce, 2016) and social and economic requirements to increase
24-hour accessibility of health care (Vetter et al., 2016). Due to the grow-
ing demand for continuing care within shift work (Hughes, 2015), currently
there is no specific definition of working time in healthcare sector, but it is un-
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7023-32-9.171-177
diseases among nurses
Tanja Ritonja, Dragana Pejnović, Lucija Roblek, Andrej Starc
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Zdravstvena pot 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
tanjaritonja@gmail.com; pejnovic.dragana@gmail.com; lucija.roblek@gmail.com;
andrej.starc@zf.uni-lj.si
Abstract
Shift work is defined as the work, which is time-permanently or
frequently disposed outside the standard operating time. It affects the
majority of bodily functions which are synchronized with the 24-hour
circadian rhythm. The most pronounced impact on sleep, on an
autonomous vegetative processes and the ability to work. Nurses in order
to ensure quality and continuous care work within these flexible working
time, which still remains a necessary form of their work. Numerous
studies have shown that age and the years of doing shift work among
nurses increases susceptibility to internal desinhronisation and thus to a
reduced tolerance for shift work, which is manifested by the appearance
of health problems associated with shift work. Neurovegetative reactions
in response to the collapse of the circadian rhythm, leading to increased
hormonal reactions, which together with other risk factors lead to
an increased risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. A review
of Slovenian and foreign scientific literature confirm and reduce the
existence of evidence to support the theory on the impact of shift work
on the incidence of cardiovascular disease in nurses. The findings
show solutions, because we are faced with the need to define additional
strategies that will reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in
nurses and the negative consequences in health care institutions and the
general public policy.
Key words: nurse, shift work, circadian rhythm, cardiovascular disease
In recent decades, we are faced with the increasing complexity of health
systems (Pryce, 2016) and social and economic requirements to increase
24-hour accessibility of health care (Vetter et al., 2016). Due to the grow-
ing demand for continuing care within shift work (Hughes, 2015), currently
there is no specific definition of working time in healthcare sector, but it is un-
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7023-32-9.171-177
