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KMID : 1141620170290020001
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Health & Nursing
2017 Volume.29 No. 2 p.1 ~ p.9
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Current Status of Nurse Working Hours, Related Issues and Improvements
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Hwang Sung-Woo
Bae Sung-Heui
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Abstract
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Nurse work schedules vary from 24 hours a day to 7 days a week for patient care. In many countries, they have systematically collected data related to nurse hours and found that nurses often work long hours and overtime. Long working hours have detrimental effects on nurses’ health and well-being and affect adverse patient outcomes. To prevent nurses from working long hours, some countries have health policies that regulate working hours and overtime for nurses. From the review of current state and challenges of Korea nurse work hour issues, there are needs to develop a nurse workforce survey to collect data regarding nurse work hours and overtime practice. In addition, nurses and policy makers should establish national legislation of nurse work hours laws and monitor their enforcement at healthcare organizations.
Furthermore, it is important to create work environment in which nurses are able to participate in work in a healthy state with appropriate working hours and breaks. For this purpose, hospital health managers should strive to monitor working hours of nurses, to investigate fatigue, and to develop and apply health promotion programs.
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KEYWORD
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Nurse work hours, Overtime, Occupational injuries
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FullTexts / Linksout information
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Listed journal information
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