Nurses are the largest group of health professionals, providing vital care 24/7. DHB-based nurses working in acute settings account for approximately 40% of all Registered and Enrolled Nurses.
Have your say and keep up to date with our 3-year project that aims to combine new science and your nursing knowledge and expertise to better manage fatigue in New Zealand hospitals. Together we have an opportunity to create positive change!
When it comes to fatigue and shift work, there are three facts you need to know:
1. We function best with unrestricted sleep at night.
2. Fatigue is impairment caused by not enough sleep, by staying awake too long and by trying to sleep and work in the wrong parts of the circadian body clock cycle.
3. Shift work is any work pattern that requires you to be awake when you would normally be asleep, on a day when you’re free to choose your schedule.
All three of these physiological factors can reduce your alertness and ability to perform your job safely, as well as your ability to get home healthy and safe.
Check out our fatigue facts section below for more information.
The Safer Nursing 24/7 team would like to thank all of you who have provided feedback on the draft National Code of Practice for...[more]
The Safer Nursing 24/7 team would like to thank all of you who have provided feedback on the draft National Code of Practice for Managing Fatigue and Shift Work in Hospital-Based Nursing. The public consultation period has now officially ended and we are working through the feedback we have received. This feedback will be taken into account when creating the next version of the document.
We have had a very positive response to the draft Code of Practice and have been invited to meet with a number of organisations during the consultation period. We have met with representatives from:
- Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon Iain Lees-Galloway
- Chief Nursing Officer, Ministry of Health
- Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health
- WorkSafe
- ACC
- Safe Staffing Healthy Workplaces
- Health Workforce New Zealand
- TAS
- CTU
- DHB General Managers of Human Resources
We are grateful for the ongoing support for this initiative and look forward to sharing the next version of the Code of Practice with you.
Philippa Gander spoke about the draft Code of Practice on Radio New Zealand today[more]
Project lead, Professor Philippa Gander, was interviewed by Susie Ferguson on Radio New Zealand's Morning Report this morning about the draft National Code of Practice for Managing Fatigue and Shift Work in Hospital-Based Nursing. You can listen to her interview here.
The Draft National Code of Practice for Managing Fatigue and Shift Work in Hospital-Based Nursing was released on 10 Dec 2018[more]
The Safer Nursing 24/7 Project has released a Draft National Code of Practice for Managing Fatigue and Shift Work in Hospital-Based Nursing for a 3-month period of public consultation from 10 December 2018. The Safer Nursing 24/7 project is funded by the Health Research Council and includes researchers from Massey University and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, with an Advisory Group with broad representation from across the sector. The draft Code has been informed by a 2016-2017 national survey of nurses’ work patterns.
Sector knowledge and experience is a vital component of this new approach, which also draws on the latest fatigue science and international best practice. The aim of the consultation process is to ensure that the final Code of Practice is understandable, effective and practical for implementation in New Zealand public hospitals.
The draft Code of Practice can be accessed here. We look forward to your feedback.
Image: stanciuc © 123RF.com
