Fatigue can significantly impact patient care in several ways:
- Increased Risk of Errors: Fatigued nurses are more likely to make mistakes in medication administration, documentation, and patient monitoring. - Decreased Patient Safety: Fatigue can impair a nurse's ability to recognize and respond to patient needs promptly, potentially jeopardizing patient safety. - Reduced Quality of Care: When nurses are exhausted, they may not be able to provide the same level of attention and compassion to their patients, affecting the overall quality of care. - Higher Infection Rates: Fatigue can lead to lapses in infection control practices, increasing the risk of hospital-acquired infections.
