Grant: Project Grant

Background: Sleepy driving is a major road safety problem. People who drive while sleepy perform poorly in driving simulators and are more likely to crash in real life. Canadian nurses are often scheduled to work consecutive 12-hour night-shifts, which leads to insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality. Therefore, nurses may be at elevated risk of motor vehicle crashes, especially while driving home after a night-shift. Sleepy driving in nurses has mainly been studied using logbooks and interviews, outside of Canada, and before Covid-19. We will use a high-fidelity driving simulator to study the safety of driving after a series of night-shifts in nurses working in a Canadian hospital. We will also investigate factors that improve (e.g., out of hospital responsibilities, more consecutive shifts, cancelled breaks) or worsen (e.g., sleep breaks, caffeine) driving performance. Methods: Registered nurses (RNs) will drive a simulator and complete cognitive tests over two sessions: i) after three or more consecutive days off work, and ii) after four consecutive days of work (the last two of which are 12-hour night-shifts). RNs will also wear actigraphs, which measure sleep duration, and keep a diary of their sleep and activity during the study. We will examine how driving and cognitive performance changes after a series of 12-hour night-shifts by comparing results from the two sessions. We will also identify factors that improve or worsen driving performance. Outcomes: The results of this study will help nurses, hospital administrators, nurse unions, and regulatory groups understand whether it is safe for nurses to drive home after night-shifts. Identifying factors that improve or worsen driving performance will also inform preventive measures (e.g., sleep breaks while working a night-shift).