Aim: To describe the experiences and perceptions of emergency nurses regarding the shortening of night shifts and identify aspects of nurses' preferences for night shifts.
Background: Shift work can be associated with distinct physical and psychological disadvantages for nurses, especially night nurses. Knowledge regarding the factors influencing their perceptions of night shifts is limited.
Methods: A qualitative description design. Fifteen nurses from the emergency setting with 6 to 14 years of work experience participated in interviews. Semistructured interviews were conducted between November 2018 and March 2019. A thematic analysis was performed for the data analysis.
Findings: The following three themes emerged: (1) maintaining quality within quantity, (2) maintaining comfort within busyness, and (3) buffering the gap between ideal and reality.
Conclusions: Considering work intensity and patient safety, nurses believe that an 8 h night shift is the most suitable length for the emergency department. Long shifts are probably more suitable for other departments with lower night workloads.
Keywords: China; Night shift; Nurses; Nursing management; Qualitative research; Shift work schedule.
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