How Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Nurse Errors June 30, 2012.

Many hospital and healthcare workers are faced with long hours and shifts at unconventional times of the day. This can affect nurses who are treating patients in hospitals, and could lead to nurse errors and medical malpractice injuries.

Insomnia Affects Nurses, Too

Many nurses work 12-hour shifts and may go without sleep for as long as 24 hours to adjust to their schedules. Their circadian rhythms can be thrown off, resulting in a disruption of the body’s clock.

Nurses who fall into these patterns may experience:

• extreme tiredness;
• inability to cope with stressful situations;
• decreased reactions or response time;
• headaches and general fatigue;
• concentration and memory problems; and
• blurry or fuzzy vision.

When these things happen, the likelihood that a nurse will make a mistake is increased dramatically. If you or a loved one were hurt or injured by a tired healthcare professional that committed nurse errors, a Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help. During a free consultation, a member of the team at Mellino Law Firm, LLC will help you determine the cause of your medical injury and what legal steps you can take. You may only have a limited amount of time to file, so don’t wait — contact us today. Call (440) 333-3800.