Abstract

Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance worldwide. Energy drinks are a relatively new beverage type that contain three to five times more caffeine than regular sodas. In several workplace settings, energy drinks have become popular as individuals chose to consume these beverages in an attempt to combat fatigue, deal with stress, and boost energy. There is no information regarding the energy drink and caffeine consumption habits of nurses working in the clinical setting. Clinical nurses provide the majority of patient care in the health care setting. Nursing is a mentally and physically demanding profession due to heavy patient loads, the fast pace, and the complexity of care that nurses provide. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are differences between sleep quality, sleep quantity, and perceived stress levels in nurses working in clinical settings who consume energy drinks or other sources of caffeine, compared to those who do not. A cross sectional survey design was administered via Qualtrics, a web-based online software program to target population of nurses employed at a large hospital in the North-Central region of Texas. Results indicated that nurses who consume energy drinks have significantly poorer sleep quality and fewer sleep hours than caffeine only and non-caffeine consuming nurses. Findings from this study also indicate that nurses who consume energy drinks have increased perceived levels of stress compared to non-caffeine consuming nurses. This study provides the impetus for multiple opportunities for future studies regarding energy drinks, nurses, and the healthcare setting to better understand this phenomenon.

Date of publication

Spring 5-2-2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

english

Persistent identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10950/572

Committee members

Jenifer Chilton, Barabara Haas, Gloria Duke, Mohammed El-Saidi

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing

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Nursing Commons

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