ArticleBMJ open2013
Safety during night shifts: a cross-sectional survey of junior doctors' preparation and practice.
Article in BMJ open, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Trial
- Review
- An exploration of after-hours workloads of trainee medical officers in a South Australian tertiary hospital.Internal medicine journal · 2026Observational
- Investigating Factors Influencing Fatigue and Medical Imaging Technologist Performance on Night Shift: An Initiative to Improve Healthcare Delivery.Journal of medical radiation sciences · 2025Article
- Impact of night shift work on women's fertility, pregnancy and menopause.Frontiers in sleep · 2025Review
- AMU patient list generation: from junior scribe to junior doctor.BMJ open quality · 2024Article
- Exploring the experiences and opinions of hospital pharmacists working 24/7 shifts.European journal of hospital pharmacy : science and practice · 2019Article
- The Concept of Qailulah (Midday Napping) from Neuroscientific and Islamic Perspectives.Journal of religion and health · 2018Review
- Sleep Deprivation Impairs and Caffeine Enhances My Performance, but Not Always Our Performance.Personality and social psychology review : an official journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc · 2017Article
- NightShift simulation to train newly qualified doctors in non-technical skills: a feasibility study.Future hospital journal · 2016Article
- A survey-based cross-sectional study of doctors' expectations and experiences of non-technical skills for Out of Hours work.BMJ open · 2015Article
- Have restricted working hours reduced junior doctors' experience of fatigue? A focus group and telephone interview study.BMJ open · 2014Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesWe aimed to determine whether junior doctors and trusts in the region make use of published evidence relating to best practice during night shift work that can safeguard alertness, reduce fatigue and limit mistakes. We surveyed junior doctors' preparation for and practice during night shifts, and the working and living conditions offered by hospitals for junior doctors carrying out night duties.
designCross-sectional survey.
settingAn anonymous online questionnaire was sent to junior doctors training within Health Education North West from 13 December 2012 to 14 February 2013.
participants32% (16/42) of trusts within Health Education North West sent the survey to 2139 junior doctor email addresses; 24.5% (524/2139) entered data into the survey.
results91.6% of surveyed junior doctors worked night shifts. Prior to starting night shifts, 65% do not have a 'prophylactic' afternoon nap. At work, half (49%) can access a room with a reclining chair while 24% have a room with a bed. 37% 'never' achieve a 'natural break' on night shift; 53% 'never' achieve the recommended 20-45 min nap. 91% of respondents were unaware of the duration of sleep inertia that can affect alertness upon waking. When converting between day/night shifts, 2% use light lamps and 6% use non-benzodiazepine sedatives. Principal themes from free text analysis were feeling lethargic or unwell during night shifts, concern for patient and personal safety and inability to rest or take breaks.
conclusionsThe trainees surveyed find night shifts difficult, yet do not/are unable to implement evidence-based recommendations to limit fatigue. Results suggest those surveyed experience a lack of rest facilities within their place of work and a demanding workload. The results may indicate the need to increase awareness of the potential benefits associated with different interventions that can help mitigate the fatigue associated with rotating shift work.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.