Using Cognitive-Behavioral Change and Mobile Technology to Improve RN Sleep and Fatigue

Part of paid clinical trials in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Sponsor
University of Cincinnati
Study ID
NCT06105307
Status
Enrolling By Invitation

Conditions

  • Fatigue
  • Nurse
  • Occupational Health
  • Sleep

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • RN-SLEEP — BEHAVIORAL
    RN-SLEEP is a training program delivered via mobile application and designed to help improve the sleep of nurses who engage in shift work. RN-SLEEP aims to include training on strategies for sleeping while working shift work, basics of sleep science and physiology, behavior change components (i.e., goal setting), and components of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (i.e., relaxation).
  • Healthy Habit - Educational Control — BEHAVIORAL
    Healthy habit app (i.e., exercise tracking) to act as a control arm for the RN-SLEEP intervention

Study Details

The U.S. registered nurse (RN) workforce is the largest in the Healthcare and Social Assistance Sector and is at high risk for injuries and errors due to poor sleep and fatigue. Shift work (i.e., nights, evenings, rotating shifts) can contribute to RNs not obtaining adequate, restful sleep. Work intensity, including heavy physical and emotional workloads of caring for critically ill patients, can contribute to job stress, resulting in spill-over effects at home when RNs experience difficulties falling and staying asleep. To address work and home sleep barriers, this project proposes the development and pilot testing of RN-SLEEP, a skill-building mobile application designed to improve sleep. RN-SLEEP will provide a convenient, flexible space to learn sleep-enhancing evidence-based shift work-specific strategies, and cognitive-behavioral methods, (e.g., goal setting, relaxation training). Using NIOSH's Research 2 Practice (R2P) approach, the study team will collaborate with participants (N=18-24) from an RN union to refine RN-SLEEP content, integrating current sleep literature (including National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health \[NIOSH\] material) with cognitive-behavioral based training. RN-SLEEP will be pilot-tested using a two-group pretest-posttest study design, comparing sleep outcome measures (duration, quality) of RN-SLEEP participant users (n=38) with participants from an education control group (n=38). Data trends on fatigue, what drives behavior change (beliefs and self-efficacy), and other sleep outcome measures (timing, regularity, efficiency, daytime sleepiness) will be explored. RN-SLEEP goals align with Healthy People 2030, NIOSH's strategic goal to promote safe and healthy work design and well-being through two NIOSH Healthcare and Social Assistance Sector/Healthy Work Design Cross-Sector (HCSA/HWD) intermediate goals. HWD goal 7.2A is to conduct intervention research addressing fatigue (poor sleep sequela) due to suboptimal work designs (shift work) in the healthcare industry. HCSA/HWD goal 7.12A prioritizes interventions designed to impact work and non-work contributors to safety and health. This RN-SLEEP intervention aims to improve sleep by building skills that help RNs overcome obstacles to sleep from work and home, thus improving health and safety. Immediate outputs include a mobile app, designed and tested in collaboration with RNs, to improve sleep. Study results will be disseminated through our union collaborators, nursing conferences and journal publications, and our University's NIOSH-sponsored Education and Research Center social media outlets. Intermediate outcomes include enhancing RN sleep through training rarely available in nursing schools and traditional hospital health and safety training programs. Improving sleep can reduce fatigue and may decrease occupational injuries and errors. RN-SLEEP is adaptable, where future versions could be modified to meet the needs of other HCSA workers (i.e., nursing aides) and workers in other industries (e.g., oil and gas) scheduled to work non-standard work hours. End outcomes include integrating RN-SLEEP into a broader hospital organization intervention to mitigate fatigue risks.

Key Dates

Start date
Feb 15, 2024
Status verified
Apr 2026
Primary completion
Jan 31, 2027
Completion
Jan 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
76 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION

Arms

  • Experimental: RN-SLEEP
    Participants assigned to the RN-SLEEP group will access the training program via a mobile app for one month. The training app will include sleep physiology content, shift work strategies to promote sleep, cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia components, and skill-building techniques to support behavior modification.
  • Active Comparator: Healthy Habit
    Participants assigned to the Healthy Habit education control group will use a mobile app for one month focused on other healthy behaviors such as exercise tracking.

Primary Outcome Measure

Sleep Duration [ Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention (4 and 8-weeks) ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
University Of CincinnatiCincinnatiOhio45221-

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By research site
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