Hospital nurse shift length, patient‐centered care, and the perceived quality and patient safety

Background There is no clear evidence that can guide decision makers regarding the appropriate shift length in the hospitals in Malaysia. Further, there is no study that explored the value of patient‐centered care of nurses working longer shifts and its impact on the care outcomes. Objective The study aims to investigate the effect of the hospital nurse shift length and patient‐centered care on the perceived quality and safety of nurses in the medical‐surgical and multidisciplinary wards in Malaysia. Methods A cross‐sectional survey has been conducted on 12 hospitals in Malaysia. Data have been collected via a questionnaire. A stratified sampling has been used. The Hayes macro regression analyses have been used to examine the mediating effects of patient‐centered care between the effect of working long shifts on the perceived quality and patient safety. Results There is a significant mediation effect of patient‐centered care between the effect of shift length on the perceived quality (F = 42.90, P ˂ 0.001) and patient safety (F = 25.12, P ˂ 0.001). Conclusion Patient‐centered care mitigates the effect of the shift length on the care outcomes. The study provides an input for the policymakers that patient‐centered care and restructuring duty hours are important to provide high‐quality patient care.