The sleeping giant: Nurses’ professional principal practice in managing sleep health and sleep disorders in Australia and New Zealand: a cross-sectional study

Background: The current practices and roles of nurses working extensively in sleep health that manage people with sleep health problems are poorly described and unclear. To our knowledge, there is no global data, and as nurses are the largest healthcare workforce, it is important to understand the roles and practices of nurses involved in sleep health. The aim of this study was to understand the roles, practices, and educational credentials of nurses involved in sleep health in Australia and New Zealand.

Methods: A sleep nursing workforce survey was developed, consisting of 35 questions. The survey was distributed through the Australasian Sleep Association, the peak scientific and professional association of sleep health in Australia and New Zealand. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

Results: In total, 100 participants (Australia, 72%; New Zealand, 28%) completed the survey. The majority of the participants were aged between 40 and 69 years and 79% had a Bachelor’s degree education or higher, had approximately 7 years’ experience in sleep health, and most worked in hospital settings (55%). Nurses spent considerable time involved in direct patient care; undertaking a range of sleep-specific clinical, scientific, and research roles. The more experienced nurses had higher levels of sleep-related education (p = 0.034).

Conclusions: This study is the first to characterise the sleep nurse workforce engaged in sleep health in Australia and New Zealand. Our findings show that the nurses working principally in clinical sleep practice have high experience levels and intend remaining in these positions. We propose that educational programs, creating clinical standards for sleep nurses and forging professional practice domains, would be beneficial.