Shift schedules among healthcare personnel

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the relationship between shift schedules and quality of life among physicians and nursing professionals at Hospital General Docente Ambato, Ecuador. Method: an observational, non-experimental, cross-sectional study with descriptive and comparative scope was conducted. The population comprised 307 healthcare professionals working 8-, 12-, and 24-hour schedules. Quality-of-life dimensions, particularly physical functioning, were assessed and compared across shift schedules and by sex. Results: personnel working rotating 24-hour shifts showed higher physical-function scores than those working 8- and 12-hour shifts; the available records described no conclusive difference between the latter two groups, but the original test statistic and p value are not available for re-audit. Women reported lower quality-of-life levels. Conclusion: the relationship between shift duration and quality of life was not linear. These findings do not establish that 24-hour shifts are universally beneficial, because the cross-sectional design cannot demonstrate causality and shift-work tolerance may depend on recovery time, schedule sequence, workload, and individual characteristics. Institutional scheduling should integrate surveillance of fatigue, sleep, recovery, and well-being.