Working to your chronotype: can personalised shift scheduling improve staff and patient safety in ambulance care? (SANDERSONU19FMH )

Background: The changing pace of ambulance emergency care means there is very little down time between jobs and missed shift breaks and late finishes are the new normal. Fatigue on the job can compromise staff and patient safety, and poor sleep quality can negatively impact cognition and mental and physical health. A new field is emerging that proposes to mitigate negative impacts of shift work by aligning shift schedule to chronotype, so that “morning” or “evening” staff are assigned schedules that match their natural circadian system. This novel PhD project will explore the potential applicability of chronotype-based interventions to the ambulance sector.

Aim: to understand the role of chronotype in sleep and fatigue in ambulance personnel and the association with patient safety and staff health, and explore options for chronotype-based interventions that are acceptable and feasible within the ambulance sector.

Objectives: i) synthesise international evidence on applications of chronotype-based interventions amongst shift workers; ii) as part of a currently funded study, examine the association of chronotype with sleep quality, fatigue, safety, and staff health, and the actions staff currently take to remain alert at work and improve their sleep; and iii) explore the development of chronotype-based interventions in the ambulance sector, and organisational readiness for such approaches.

PhD training objectives: These will be refined in consultation with the candidate and will include skills development in: systematic review and meta-analysis; quantitative and qualitative data analysis; designing complex organisational interventions; and working with external research partners to produce research with a clear pathway to impact.

Supervision and training: The candidate will join the research group of Professor Kristy Sanderson, Chair in Applied Health Research. The supervisory team includes expertise in occupational and mental health, sleep science, and implementation science.

For more information on the supervisor for this project, please go here: https://people.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/kristy-sanderson
The type of programme: PhD
The start date of the project: 01/10/2019
Mode of study: Full time
Entry requirements: Acceptable first degree in Degree in paramedic science, psychology, public health, epidemiology, nursing, allied health, or other health-related discipline and minimum entry requirements is 2:1.
The standard minimum entry requirement for the studentship competition is 2:1 (or equivalent)