Cho Hyeonmi, Thatcher Anne L, Steege Linsey M
Gachon University, College of Nursing, Research Institute of AI and Nursing Science, 191 Hambakmoero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21936, South Korea.
University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing, 701 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705, United States of America.
Appl Nurs Res. 2025 Jun;83:151958. doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2025.151958. Epub 2025 Apr 30.
Nurse fatigue and recovery can influence staff well-being and patient outcomes. Understanding the relationships among different types of fatigue and recovery and the extent to which these measures are shared among nurses within the same unit is crucial for guiding effective interventions. Examining the relationship between unit managers' fatigue and recovery levels and those of staff nurses is also important, given managers' impact on unit dynamics and support.
This study aimed (1) to explore connections among nurse fatigue (mental, physical, acute, chronic) and inter-shift recovery using a network-based approach; (2) to quantify the extent to which fatigue and recovery vary among nurses within the same unit; and (3) to investigate the relationship between unit managers' and staff nurses' fatigue and recovery levels.
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from April 2021 to July 2022 in 24 units across three U.S. Midwest hospitals. Data were collected via surveys from 24 managers and 598 staff nurses. Network analysis was used to map and identify central connections among fatigue and recovery measures, intra-class correlations were calculated to assess within-unit variability, and linear mixed models were employed to examine manager-staff relationships.
Physical fatigue emerged as a central element within the network of fatigue and recovery measures, strongly connecting to other measures. Intra-class correlation values indicated that acute and physical fatigue varied meaningfully between units, while mental fatigue showed minimal variation. Unit managers' acute and physical fatigue levels were significantly associated with those of staff nurses.
The findings suggested the importance of physical fatigue as a leverage point for targeted interventions and highlight the need for unit-specific strategies that address both individual and collective sources of fatigue. By integrating a network-based perspective and examining manager-staff relationships, this study offers practical insights to improve nurse well-being and strengthen effective leadership.
护士的疲劳和恢复会影响员工的幸福感和患者的治疗效果。了解不同类型的疲劳和恢复之间的关系，以及这些指标在同一科室护士之间的共享程度，对于指导有效的干预措施至关重要。鉴于科室管理者对科室动态和支持的影响，研究科室管理者与护士的疲劳和恢复水平之间的关系也很重要。
本研究旨在（1）采用基于网络的方法探索护士疲劳（心理、身体、急性、慢性）与轮班间恢复之间的联系；（2）量化同一科室护士之间疲劳和恢复的差异程度；（3）调查科室管理者与护士的疲劳和恢复水平之间的关系。
2021年4月至2022年7月，在美国中西部地区的三家医院的24个科室进行了一项横断面描述性研究。通过对24名科室管理者和598名护士进行调查收集数据。采用网络分析来绘制和识别疲劳和恢复指标之间的核心联系，计算组内相关系数以评估科室内部的变异性，并采用线性混合模型来研究管理者与护士之间的关系。
身体疲劳在疲劳和恢复指标网络中成为核心要素，与其他指标紧密相连。组内相关系数值表明，急性和身体疲劳在不同科室之间存在显著差异，而心理疲劳的差异最小。科室管理者的急性和身体疲劳水平与护士的疲劳水平显著相关。
研究结果表明身体疲劳作为有针对性干预的一个杠杆点的重要性，并强调需要针对科室的具体策略来解决个体和集体的疲劳来源。通过整合基于网络视角并研究管理者与护士之间的关系，本研究为改善护士幸福感和加强有效领导力提供了实用见解。
