Factors associated with workplace fatigue among midwives in southern China: A multi-centre cross-sectional study.

AIMS: To identify the level of workplace fatigue among midwives and factors influencing their fatigue. BACKGROUND: Midwives who play an important role in medical care are prone to experience workplace fatigue, which negatively affects their well-being and work quality. METHODS: A multi-centre cross-sectional study was conducted among 666 Chinese midwives from 38 hospitals in March 2019. Data were collected by four questionnaires of self-designed demographic questions, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Social Support Self-Rating Scale and the 14-item Fatigue Scale. Descriptive statistics, univariate analysis and multiple linear regression were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Midwives had moderate levels of fatigue with the mean scores of physical fatigue, mental fatigue and total fatigue being 9.53, 6.25, and 15.79, respectively. Multiple linear regression results showed that sleep quality, social support, job satisfaction, occupational injuries, adverse life events, frequency of irregular meals and employment type were statistically significant factors influencing fatigue among the participants. CONCLUSIONS: Physical and mental fatigue were generally common among midwives and were affected by personal-related and work-related factors, sleep quality and social support. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse administrators should take measures and advocate changing health policy under two-children rule to to prevent workplace fatigue among midwives.