Keywords
emotional strain
sleep debt
shift swapping
nurses
fatigue
How to Cite
Abstract
Background: Shift swaps provide nurses with flexibility in managing personal and professional responsibilities but may also disrupt sleep and recovery, contributing to fatigue and emotional strain. Existing research has largely examined shift work from an individual perspective, with limited attention to the interpersonal consequences of roster negotiations.
Objective: The present study examined the relationships among shift swap burden, sleep debt, fatigue, positive mood, emotional strain, and perceived fairness among Indian nurses, while exploring the dyadic interdependence associated with shift exchanges.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed among 215 nurses working in government and private healthcare institutions across India. Data were collected using structured self-report measures assessing shift swap burden, sleep debt, fatigue, positive mood, emotional strain, and perceived fairness and reciprocity. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, regression, moderation analysis, and exploratory actor–partner analyses. The dyadic dataset comprised 107 complete nurse dyads.
Results: Shift swap burden was positively associated with sleep debt (r = .53, p < .01), while sleep debt was positively associated with fatigue (r = .59, p < .01) and emotional strain (r = .51, p < .01), and negatively associated with positive mood (r = −.47, p < .01). Regression analyses supported all proposed direct relationships. Perceived fairness significantly moderated the relationships between sleep debt and both fatigue and emotional strain. Exploratory dyadic analyses demonstrated significant actor and partner effects, indicating that shift-swap experiences were associated with outcomes among both nurses involved in the exchange.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that shift swaps are not merely administrative scheduling adjustments but may represent psychologically consequential workplace processes. Fair and transparent scheduling practices, adequate recovery opportunities, and fatigue-management strategies may support nurse well-being and sustainable healthcare workforce management.
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