Extended work shifts disrupt normal cortisol patterns in female nurses

Levels of cortisol, often referred to as the "stress hormone," typically peak in the early morning hours, preparing the body for the day's challenges by increasing alertness and energy levels, and gradually decline throughout the day, reaching their lowest point around midnight. New research in Nursing Open found an approximately two-fold increase in salivary cortisol levels at midnight in nurses working double shifts compared with those working single shifts. 

The study included 52 female nurses, working in rotating shifts. The elevated salivary cortisol levels observed in double-shift workers at midnight suggest that prolonged work schedules are associated with alterations in normal cortisol patterns. 

Our findings indicate that extended shift schedules may be associated with alterations in the circadian pattern of cortisol, reflecting increased physiological strain in nurses working prolonged hours."

Fadime Ulupınar, RN, MSc, corresponding author of Erzurum Technical University, Turkey