A Cross-Sectional Study of the Social Work Environment and Black Registered Nurses’ Sleep

Introduction Workplace experiences may place Black nurses at higher risk for poor sleep and adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to identify poor sleep prevalence and associations of workplace discrimination and workplace social capital with sleep. Methodology Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression with exploratory analyses were conducted of cross sectional survey data from US Black nurses. Results On average, 63 respondents reported sleeping 6.15 h, 45 min less daily than 6.9 h reported nationally for nurses. Ninety-percent of respondents reported poor sleep quality. While no direct significance was found, respondents reporting sleep quality changes had lower workplace social capital and higher workplace discrimination. Conclusion Black nurses may have higher prevalence of poor sleep than the larger nursing workforce. A potential relationship between decreased sleep quality and negative perceptions of the work environment may exist. Organizations should examine sleep and potential occupational health inequities among Black nurses when considering worker health.