Comparison of Fatigue, Adaptation to Night Shifts, and Resilience by Duty Type among Nurses with Experience of Both Fixed Night Duty and Three-Shift Duty

Purpose: This study aimed to compare fatigue, adaptation to night shifts, and resilience among nurses who had experience with both fixed night duty and three-shift duty. Methods: This repeated-measures comparative study included 41 nurses at a university hospital in Incheon who had experienced both fixed night duty and three-shift duty. The measured variables were general characteristics, fatigue, adaptation to night shifts, and resilience. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, as well as the paired t-test. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in fatigue or resilience between periods of fixed night duty and three-shift duty. However, adaptation to night shifts was significantly higher during fixed night duty. Conclusion: Because adaptation to night shifts was significantly higher during fixed night duty, fixed night duty may be considered an alternative work arrangement that broadens nurses’ scheduling options. Because fixed night duty is based on voluntary participation, its potential benefits should be clearly communicated to nurses.