Prevalence of sleep disturbances among intensive care nurses: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract Background Demanding intensive care unit (ICU) work environments may lead to sleep disturbances in nurses, impacting their health and potentially patient safety. Yet, the prevalence remains unclear around the world. Aims To quantify the prevalence of sleep disturbances in intensive care nurses. Study Design Systematic review and meta‐analysis. A database search was conducted in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and CINAHL from their inception to April 2024 for relevant studies. Data from observational studies (cross‐sectional or cohort) that reported the prevalence of sleep disturbances, assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI > 5), pooled in random‐effects meta‐analyses. Subgroup analyses were used to investigate variations in the prevalence estimates in terms of available variables. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses (PRISMA)‐compliant protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023476428). Results In total, 24 articles were included in this study published from 1996 to 2023. Included studies were from 15 unique countries. Almost all of the studies were descriptive cross‐sectional studies ( n = 22; 91.7%). The included studies encompassed a range of intensive care nurses, from 42 to 605, involving a total of 3499 intensive care nurses. The reported proportion of intensive care nurses with sleep disturbances ranged from 20.0% to 100.0%, with a median of 76.7% (interquartile range: 62.9–85.7). The pooled prevalence of sleep disturbances in intensive care nurses was 75.1% (95% confidence interval: 37.2–53.1; 95% prediction interval: 30.5–95.4). Conclusions Sleep disturbance is a common issue in intensive care nurses. The study results highlight the importance of implementing effective interventions as early as possible to improve ICU sleep quality. Relevance to Clinical Practice High prevalence of sleep disturbances among intensive care nurses necessitates global interventions. Gender‐neutral approaches that acknowledge comparable risks and stable prevalence over time require long‐term strategies. Raising awareness through programmes is vital for implementing evidence‐based interventions to promote sleep health in intensive care nurses.