DefinePK

Abstract

Background and Objective: Sleep quality is a critical determinant of nurses’ physical health, emotional well-being, and professional performance. Critical care nurses (CCNs) are particularly vulnerable to poor sleep quality due to rotating shifts, high workloads, and psychological stressors inherent in intensive care environments. This scoping review explores global and Pakistani literature on sleep quality among CCNs, focusing on contributing factors, associated health and professional impacts, and coping strategies.
Methods and Materials: A systematic literature search was conducted across four databases: CINAHL, PubMed, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate, focusing on studies published between 2018 and 2024. The search strategy employed Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) in combination with Boolean operators to enhance precision and relevance. Inclusion criteria were restricted to peer-reviewed articles published in English within the last seven years. Following the application of relevance and accessibility filters, a total of 34 studies were deemed eligible for inclusion in the review.
Results: Findings indicate that between 40% and 80% of nurses experience poor sleep quality, with the highest prevalence observed among night-shift workers. Contributing factors identified include occupational stress, emotional exhaustion, high workload intensity, and irregular shift patterns. Poor sleep quality was consistently associated with increased fatigue, impaired cognitive performance, a higher incidence of clinical errors, elevated risk of burnout, and a decline in the overall quality of patient care.
Conclusion: Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent among nurses, especially night-shift workers, and is linked to occupational stressors and sociocultural factors, particularly in the Pakistani context. These findings highlight the urgent need for organizational and policy-level interventions to improve nurses’ well-being and ensure safe patient care.