Fatigue and Charting Errors: The Benefit of a Reduced Call Schedule

THE EFFECTS OF FATIGUE caused by long work hours, working on call, and insufficient rest periods are often overlooked during reviews of perioperative documentation errors. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN fatigue and nurse charting errors prior to and after implementation of a reduced call schedule was examined at a not-for-profit, Magnet community hospital. A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION in nursing documentation errors was observed after the reduced call schedule was implemented, with the greatest reduction in errors seen among nurses working 12-hour or call shifts.