The Continuing Education Unit at the College of Nursing, University of Baghdad, organized a specialized workshop titled “The Biological Clock of Nurses,” presented by Assistant Professor Dr. Haider Mohammed Majid and Assistant Instructor Mustafa Wajih Al-Karkhi in Room No. (Physiological Variables Associated with Shift Work and Their Impact on General Health and Clinical Performance
The workshop aimed to introduce participants to the concept of the circadian rhythm and the mechanisms by which the biological clock regulates the body’s vital processes, while explaining the health and psychological disorders that nursing staff may face as a result of continuous night work. It also provided students with practical strategies for adapting to the shift system to ensure mental focus, reduce medical errors, and enhance personal and professional safety in complex work environments
The workshop produced a set of key outcomes and recommendations that emphasized the need to organize work schedules in a way that accounts for the time required to restore physical and mental energy, while encouraging a balanced diet and carefully planned sleep schedules to reduce the effects of occupational stress. The recommendations also stressed the importance of raising health awareness regarding “sleep hygiene” and its direct impact on enhancing nursing performance and ensuring the provision of safe, high-quality healthcare to patients at all times
This event was organized in response to the requirements of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by protecting the physical and mental health of healthcare workers, and Goal 4 (Quality Education) by preparing and qualifying nursing students to face the challenges of the field with sound scientific awareness that ensures the sustainability of service and professional excellence
