The Impact of Shift Working on the Reproductive Health of Emergency Medicine Doctors

Abstract

Purpose of review: Shift work is a fundamental component of the 24-hour society and has been integrated in different domains to ensure continuity of care and increased response to patient’s needs. However, this has had a drastic impact on the mental and physical well-being of health care professionals, especially emergency medicine doctors, as they must face an incredible number of challenges to balance their work and personal life. This has been proven to be extremely bothersome in the context of reproductive health, as multiple studies have shown negative impacts related to shift work. This literature review aims to identify those challenges, reviewing the current literature to elucidate possible solutions to the current issue. Methods: This literature review is the result of an extensive search of online databases, including PubMed, Clinical Key, EBSCO, and Google Scholar, to identify relevant studies. To refine the search scope, keywords such as “shift work”, “reproductive health”, “emergency medicine doctors”, “sleep disturbances” and “circadian rhythm” have been used. The inclusion criteria were studies relating to the sphere of health and shift work in various settings, including emergency medicine departments. Recent findings: Lately, research has tried to identify the link between shift working and reproductive health issues, and the results have shown that there is a strong contribution from the former to the latter. Shift work has been seen to impact women and men healthcare workers both physically and mentally. Women experience a great deal of issues, ranging from disrupted menstrual periods to early pregnancy losses and the development of breast cancer. Men, on the other hand, must deal with fertility problems such as low sperm count or poor quality due to melatonin suppression when working night shifts. Both men and women have been coping with a great deal of emotional and psychological issues and are at increased risk of developing anxiety and depression, as well as sleep disorders. Summary: The current literature review analyses the available studies on the topic of shift working and reproductive health, confirming the interconnection between the two but also highlighting the need to further develop research in this field. It would also be good to query emergency medicine doctors to better understand how to improve their quality of life and ensure the adequate care needed in acute settings.