Scientists at McGill University found that nurses exposed to bright light for 40 minutes before the night shift felt less tired and made fewer mistakes at work. Research published in the journal Sleep Health.
Approximately 60 nurses participated in the study. They worked on a schedule that alternated night and day shifts throughout the week. During 10 days, the nurses in the experimental group made a total of 21 mistakes, including prescribing the wrong dose of medication and accidentally getting a needle stick.
Exposing the nurse to bright light for 40 minutes using a special portable light box before the night shift reduced the error rate to seven errors by 67%. This confirmed the results of the previous study, where the number of errors was reduced by 62%.
Nurses also reported less fatigue and better sleep quality. As the authors note, the cost of medical errors in North America is estimated at tens of billions of dollars a year. The scientists believe their findings could be applied to other people who work the night shift.