Shift-working nurses are at high risk of poor sleep quality, which can affect their health and job performance. Feasible, non-pharmacological interventions are needed to support this workforce in low-resource settings. This brief report aimed to implement a sleep hygiene intervention for shift-working nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, and to assess its impact on self-reported sleep quality. A single-group pre-post design was used. Participating nurses attended a structured educational workshop on sleep hygiene and pre-sleep routines. Sleep quality was measured using a validated self-report questionnaire administered before the intervention and at a follow-up point. Following the intervention, an improvement in overall sleep quality was reported. The proportion of participants describing their sleep quality as 'good' or 'very good' increased from 25% at baseline to 58% at follow-up. A structured sleep hygiene intervention was feasibly implemented within a busy national hospital and was associated with improved self-reported sleep quality among participating nurses. Healthcare institutions should consider integrating sleep hygiene education into staff well-being programmes. Further research using a control group and longer follow-up is needed to confirm efficacy. sleep hygiene, shift work, nurses, occupational health, Kenya, implementation This report contributes practical insights into implementing a low-cost occupational health intervention within an African hospital context, highlighting a potential strategy to improve staff well-being.
Gebremichael et al. (2019) studied this question.