Shift Patterns on the Clinical Performance of Staff Nurses in a Government Hospital

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the clinical performance of staff nurses working under 8-hour and 12-hour shift patterns in a government hospital in Surigao City, Philippines. A comparative descriptive research design was utilized involving staff nurses assigned to different hospital units. Data were collected using the Six-Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance developed by Schwirian, which measures both the extent and quality of nursing performance across leadership, critical care, teaching or collaboration, planning or evaluation, interpersonal communication, and professional development. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistic measure were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that nurses demonstrated a generally high level of clinical performance under both shift schedules. Significant differences were observed in the frequency of clinical performance in leadership, critical care, and teaching or collaboration activities, while no significant differences were found in planning or evaluation and interpersonal communication. In terms of performance quality, only leadership showed a significant difference according to shift schedule. The results suggest that nurses maintain effective clinical performance regardless of shift length, although certain aspects of nursing practice may vary depending on shift structure.