Educational activities on wards under 12 hour shifts.

Interest in 12 hour nursing shifts has renewed in response to demands for improved cost effectiveness in the NHS. But the effects of the shift on nursing education are unclear. A repeated measures study was conducted, using activity analysis to record patterns of nursing and educational behaviour under a 12 hour as compared to an 8 hour shift. Lower levels of ward based education occur under the 12 hour shift. Students pair up with trained staff less. Rather they work alone or with other students more. They also have less contact with patients than under an 8 hour shift.