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Learning Objective 1: 1. Identify breast cancer risk factors for night shift nurses.
Learning Objective 2: 2. Identify adequacy of breast cancer screening practices for night shift nurses.
Methods: A survey currently in process of all nurses at a community hospital, the Hospital Nurse Force and Fatigue Study, investigates self-reports of physical, cognitive and emotional fatigue. Thirty female night nurses over the age of forty who have completed the Hospital Nurse Force and Fatigue study will be asked to volunteer to participate in a cohort study using an interview to investigate breast cancer risk and screening practices.
Results: Breast cancer risk and screening practices of the night nurse cohort will be reported. Physical, cognitive and emotional fatigue results from the Hospital Nurse Force and Fatigue Study will be analyzed to identify trends in breast cancer risk and screening practices.
Conclusion: Cumulative years of working night shifts is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, especially for female nurses who have worked night shift 5 years or more. It it important to investigate hospital nurses because many have the two greatest known breast cancer risk factors, 1) they are predominantly women, and 2) they have representation of an aging population (nurses over the age of forty). Although individual breast cancer risk varies among nurses, cumulative years of working the night shift is an important risk factor to consider when evaluating individual breast cancer risk and planning for breast cancer screening.