- 13 October 2019
- 3 min read
Lack of proper breaks leaves overworked nurses driving dangerously
SubscribeOverworked nurses feel they are putting their lives in danger just to ensure patients get the care they need, according to a survey by NursingNotes.

73% of healthcare workers feel unsafe driving after a night shift
A survey of 2,660 healthcare workers sought to examine how safe staff felt driving home from their place of work after a night shift.
The majority of staff (73%) said they felt unsafe driving home.
Over half (58%) said this was because they did not have the time to take their unpaid allocated rest break.
When staff do take breaks, most staff (77%) said their employer did not allow them to sleep during this unpaid period.
The survey was conducted by NursingNotes.
"I feel like I'm drunk"
One respondent said; “When I drive home from a night shift I feel like I am drunk. It sounds odd but I feel dazed and out of it and have slower reactions.”
An overwhelming amount of staff (96%) admitted to feeling stressed or tired during the drive home. One respondent said; “I often worry that I have remembered to do everything for my patients on the drive home and feel for leaving the ward short staffed”.
Around three quarters (76%) of staff said they worked shifts are longer than 11 hours and nearly a third (32%) said their shift finished between 23:00 and 05:00.
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