In the broadcast of 20 January 2018 Argos investigates the consequences of the night shift for hospital nurses. Sometimes the distress is so severe that nurses hit the pills. What do they do to keep going? What does this mean for patient care? In this episode of Argos, an intensive care unit nurse of the UMC Utrecht tells how she made a big mistake with a patient due to fatigue during the night shift. Marijke Gordijn of Chrono@Work talks about the consequences of working the night shift. Working at night involves health risks according to a recent report from the Health Council. Night workers themselves run an increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, but there are other risks as well. Lack of sleep can lead to mistakes at work. And in the healthcare sector this can have direct consequences for patients.
In the program Argos also reports on the results of a survey among over 1,800 nurses and caretakers on the use of sleeping pills from the professional association V&VN.