Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government
Veterans Benefits and Health Care About VA Find a VA Location

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

A Comparison of Shift Length and Nursing and Quality Outcomes in Acute Inpatient Mental Health Units.

Beckman RJ, Hutton S, Czekanski E, Vance K, Mohr DC. A Comparison of Shift Length and Nursing and Quality Outcomes in Acute Inpatient Mental Health Units. The Journal of nursing administration. 2022 Oct 1; 52(10):560-565.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.    Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions


Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: This study compared outcomes between units that used either 8-hour or 12-hour shifts in acute inpatient mental health units. BACKGROUND: Most hospitals continue to use 12-hour shifts despite research suggesting safety concerns with longer shifts. There is a gap in the literature on effects of shift lengths on nursing and patient outcomes in acute mental health units. METHODS: This study is a retrospective comparative analysis of cross-sectional data between 32 inpatient mental health units that used 8-hour versus 12-hour shifts. Independent samples t test was used to examine differences on several staffing, quality, and safety measures. RESULTS: A moderate effect size was found between the groups in quality and safety measures involving patient disruptive behaviors, with the 8-hour group having more desirable outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse leaders in acute mental health units should consider the impacts of shift length on quality and safety when determining staffing patterns. More research is needed to evaluate correlations or causality.




Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.