Skip to content

NYSNA Night-Shift Registered Nurse Well-Being Survey

The purpose of this survey is to better understand the experiences, health, well-being, workplace conditions, and professional needs of registered nurses who work night shifts across New York State.

Responses are anonymous and will be used to identify opportunities to improve working conditions, nurse well-being, patient safety, and retention of night-shift nurses.

The experiences of night-shift nurses are essential to understanding how workplace policies, staffing, scheduling, resources, and organizational practices affect nurse well-being and patient care.

Your responses will help identify priorities for improving the health, safety, professional support, and working conditions of night-shift registered nurses throughout New York State.

Estimated completion time: 8–10 minutes
Section 1: About Your Night-Shift Work
1.How many total years have you practiced as an RN?(Required.)
2.What is your employment status?(Required.)
3.What best describes your current work schedule?(Required.)
4.What is your typical shift length?(Required.)
5.How many years have you worked night shift as an RN?(Required.)
6.How many night shifts do you typically work consecutively?(Required.)
7.Is working night shift primarily your choice?(Required.)
8.Have you ever worked exclusively day shift?(Required.)
Section 2: Sleep, Fatigue & Recovery
For questions 9–14, select:
Never | Rarely | Sometimes | Often | Very Often
9.I have difficulty obtaining adequate sleep between night shifts.(Required.)
10.I begin my shift already feeling fatigued.(Required.)
11.I experience significant fatigue or sleepiness while providing patient care.(Required.)
12.Fatigue makes it more difficult for me to concentrate, communicate, or make clinical decisions.(Required.)
13.I need multiple days to physically or mentally recover after completing a stretch of night shifts.(Required.)
14.I rely on caffeine or energy drinks to remain alert during night shifts.(Required.)
15.On average, how many hours of sleep do you obtain between consecutive night shifts?(Required.)
Section 3: Fatigue and Safety
16.During the past 6 months, have you experienced a clinical error or near miss in which you believe fatigue was a contributing factor?(Required.)
17.During the past 6 months, how often have you felt too fatigued to safely provide patient care?(Required.)
18.During the past 6 months, have you struggled to stay awake while driving home after a night shift?(Required.)
19.During the past 6 months, have you ever needed to pull over, stop driving, or take other action because you felt too fatigued to safely continue your commute home?(Required.)
20.How concerned are you about your safety traveling home after night shifts because of fatigue?(Required.)
Section 4: Physical, Mental & Social Well-Being
21.Since working night shift, to what extent have you experienced negative effects in the following areas?(Required.)
None
Mild
Moderate
Significant
Severe
Sleep quality
Energy/fatigue
Gastrointestinal health
Headaches
Eating habits/appetite
Weight management
Exercise/physical activity
Mood
Stress/anxiety
Ability to concentrate
Relationships/family life
Social life
Ability to attend appointments or complete personal responsibilities
Overall quality of life
22.Overall, how would you rate the effect of working night shift on your physical well-being?(Required.)
23.Overall, how would you rate the effect of working night shift on your mental and emotional well-being?(Required.)
Section 5: Staffing, Resources & Breaks
24.Do you believe your unit has adequate staffing and support resources during night shift?(Required.)
25.Which resources are frequently less available or difficult to access during night shift? Select all that apply.(Required.)
26.How often are you able to take your full, uninterrupted meal and/or rest breaks during night shifts?(Required.)
27.When you cannot take an appropriate break, what are the primary reasons? Select all that apply.(Required.)
Section 6: Night-Shift Access & Professional Opportunities
28.As a night shift nurse, how easy is it for you to access the following?(Required.)
Very Difficult
Somewhat Difficult
Somewhat Easily
Very Easily
Unsure
Education and in-service training
Staff meetings
Shared governance/committees
Professional development
Leadership visibility
Recognition programs
Hospital wellness initiatives
Employee appreciation events
Food provided during hospital events
Opportunities for advancement
Access to management
Mentorship
29.As a night shift nurse, how easy is it for you to access the following union resources?(Required.)
Very Difficult
Somewhat Difficult
Somewhat Easily
Very Easily
Unsure
Access to NYSNA reps
Access to union information and activities
30.Do you have suggestions for improving access to union resources?(Required.)
31.Have you ever been unable to participate in an educational, professional, committee, or workplace opportunity because it was scheduled during hours that were incompatible with night-shift work?(Required.)
32.Do you feel night-shift nurses receive adequate recognition for their contributions to patient care and hospital operations?(Required.)
Section 7: Scheduling & Compensation
33.How satisfied are you with your level of input into your work schedule?(Required.)
34.Which scheduling practices negatively affect your well-being? Select all that apply.(Required.)
35.Do you believe your current night-shift differential adequately compensates for the physical, psychological, and social impact of working nights?(Required.)
Section 8: Retention
36.During the past 12 months, have you seriously considered leaving night shift?(Required.)
37.If yes, what have you considered doing? Select all that apply.(Required.)
38.What factors have made you consider leaving night shift? Select all that apply.(Required.)
Section 9: What Would Improve Night-Shift Nursing?
39.Which changes would most improve your well-being as a night-shift RN? Select up to FIVE.(Required.)
40.Of the options above, which ONE change would have the greatest positive impact on your well-being?(Required.)
Section 10: Strengths of Night Shift
41.What do you value about working night shift? Select all that apply.(Required.)
Section 11: Your Voice
42.What is the single greatest challenge you experience as a night-shift RN?(Required.)
43.What is the single most important change your employer could make to improve the well-being of night-shift nurses?(Required.)
44.What are other recommendations to improve the night shift experience for nurses?(Required.)
45.Is there anything else you would like NYSNA to know about the experience of working night shift?(Required.)
Optional Demographic & Workplace Information
The following questions should be optional and reported only in aggregate to protect anonymity.
46.In which region of New York State do you primarily work?
47.What type of setting do you primarily work in?
48.What is your primary nursing specialty?
Thank you for sharing your experience.