Abstract

PURPOSE
The present study was intended to measure fatigue symptoms according to the quality of sleep among nurses working for an university hospital and to reveal its related factors. METHODS: The self-administered questionnaires were given to 397 nurses employed in an university hospital located in Daejeon City during the period from June 1st to July 31st, 2007. RESULTS: The group with higher quality of sleep accounted for 78.1% of all the subjects and the one with lower quality, 21.9%. According to qualities of sleep, the fatigue symptom was determined to be significantly higher in the group with lower quality of sleep than its counterpart. On adjustment for quality of sleep, the level of fatigue symptom was significantly higher in the groups, than in each respective counterparts, who don't take regular exercises, who have few leisure time, who have lower level of subjective health status, who range> or = 1 and < 10 years in job careers, who work in shifts, who reported that it is hard to get physical burden of work, who are satisfied with the job, who find themselves unfit to the job, who are considering quitting the job, who have higher job demand, who have lower job control, who have higher level of supervisor support, who have type A behavior pattern. CONCLUSION: The study results may explain that the fatigue symptom of nurses is highly associated with the quality of sleep independently of other variables and also with job-related characteristics independently of the sleep quality. In conclusion, to reduce the fatigue symptom of nurses, strategic efforts should be directed for programs to improve the quality of sleep and a proper job analysis.

• Keywords: Quality of sleep; Fatigue symptom; Hospital nurse