Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective: This study aimed to identify scientific evidence about the association between shift work and changes on the cortisol circadian rhythm, stress and fatigue in nurses. Method: We found 1046 articles published between 2006 and 2016 in the Medline, LILACS, WOS, Scopus and SciElo databases, three articles were included in this review. Results: The studies presented low methodological rigor and inconclusive results due to methodological diversity and small sample size. Thus, based on the existing literature, it was not possible to determine the existence of a significant association between shift work, cortisol levels, stress and fatigue in nurses. Conclusion: The strategies required to obtain reliable and comparable results include the adoption of standard methods of participant selection, sample collection and analysis, and use of validated psychometric instruments.
Highlights
In human beings, cortisol is the main glucocorticoid hormone produced by the adrenal glands after the activation of hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenal axis (HHA)
After reading and exclusion criteria matching, three papers were included in this study (Chart 1) due to their presenting evidence on the relation between cortisol levels and occupational stress or fatigue in nursing work shifts
All the articles included in this review presented low evidence level in associating salivary cortisol with stress of fatigue among nursing workers
Summary
Cortisol is the main glucocorticoid hormone produced by the adrenal glands after the activation of hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenal axis (HHA). This hormone acts the main role in a multitude of biological processes, such as energy metabolism, blood pressure stability, immune modulation, cognitive and memory regulation, and stress response[1,2]. Physical or psychological stress agents, many pharmaceuticals, as well as genetic and sociodemographic factors are able to alter cortisol secretion rhythm, either stimulating or suppressing the HHA axis[3,4]. Salivary cortisol is the free and biologically active form of this hormone, and sample collection is simple, safe and non-invasive, as it can be made even in the participant’s workplace.[8]
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