Impact of Shift Work on the Quality of Life of Nursing Staff in Congo-Brazzaville: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The negative impact of shift work on quality of life is well-established. This study aimed to analyze the consequences of shift work on the quality of life of nursing staff in public hospitals in Congo-Brazzaville.

Materials and Methods: We conducted a multicentric cross-sectional study from March to August 2021, involving nursing staff from nine public hospitals in four departments of the country. The "Nursing Work Index - Extended Organization" (NWI-EO), the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), and the "Short Form Survey" (SF-12) were used to measure quality of work life, work-private life balance, and off-work quality of life, respectively.

Results: The study population consisted of 454 nurses (64.9%) and 246 nursing assistants (35.1%), with a majority being females (83.6%) and an average age of 39.2 years±8.1. Most worked on a two 12-hour shift schedule (2x12), 73.9% had a continuous working rhythm, and in 81.6% of cases, the rotation was short. The main factors detrimental to the quality of work life were understaffing, poor colleague relationships, absence of leaves, and inadequate communication (p<0.05). Alternating shift work affected private life, especially in the case of an 8-hour shift pattern (3x8). However, the overall prevalence of poor quality of life was 4.1%, with no correlation with the working rhythm (p>0.05).

Conclusion: The negative effects of shift work on the quality of life of nursing staff necessitate the introduction of preventive measures to improve patient care quality.