Non-Invasive Sleep Monitoring for Burnout and Retention Risk in Postgraduate Nurses

NCT07666633 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: KAFGHIRB 115-007
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 100
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Newly graduated nurses often experience high levels of psychological stress, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and burnout during the early transition into clinical practice. Early identification of burnout and retention risk may help improve mental well-being, workforce stability, and quality of patient care. This longitudinal observational study aims to develop a non-invasive sleep-based prediction platform for assessing burnout and retention risk among postgraduate nurses. Participants will undergo repeated psychological assessments and non-contact sleep monitoring during the study period. Sleep-related physiological parameters, including sleep efficiency, sleep structure, heart rate variability, and respiratory variability, will be collected together with validated psychological questionnaires. The study will further apply machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches to integrate longitudinal physiological and psychological data for risk prediction and early identification of burnout-related conditions. The findings may support future development of precision mental health monitoring and supportive management strategies for high-stress healthcare workers.

Conditions

Burnout; Sleep Disturbance; Occupational Stress; Mental Health; Nurse Retention; Fatigue

Keywords

Postgraduate Nurses; Non-Invasive Sleep Monitoring; Burnout Risk; Retention Risk; Artificial Intelligence; Machine Learning; Sleep Quality; Heart Rate Variability; Shift Work; Psychological Stress

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) Score

  Assessment of burnout severity using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), a validated questionnaire for evaluating personal and work-related burnout symptoms. The CBI score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater burnout severity.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Score

  Assessment of sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a validated questionnaire for evaluating subjective sleep quality and sleep disturbance. The PSQI global score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Brief Symptom Rating Scale-5 (BSRS-5) Score

  Assessment of psychological distress using the Brief Symptom Rating Scale-5 (BSRS-5), a validated questionnaire for evaluating anxiety, depression, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, and insomnia symptoms. The BSRS-5 total score ranges from 0 to 20, with higher scores indicating greater psychological distress.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Chinese Health Questionnaire-12 (CHQ-12) Score

  Assessment of mental health status using the Chinese Health Questionnaire-12 (CHQ-12), a validated questionnaire for evaluating psychological well-being and minor psychiatric morbidity. Higher scores indicate poorer mental health status.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) Score

  Assessment of subjective sleepiness using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). The KSS score ranges from 1 to 9, with higher scores indicating greater subjective sleepiness.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Sleep Efficiency

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Deep Sleep Proportion

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• REM Sleep Stability

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Heart Rate Variability

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

Study Arms (1)

Postgraduate Nurses (PGNs)

Newly employed postgraduate nurses within the first three months of clinical practice will be enrolled and followed longitudinally. Participants will complete repeated psychological assessments and undergo non-invasive sleep monitoring during the study period. Sleep-related physiological parameters, including sleep efficiency, sleep structure, heart rate variability, and respiratory variability, will be analyzed to evaluate burnout risk, psychological stress, fatigue, and retention risk during the early clinical transition period.

Diagnostic Test: Non-Invasive Sleep Monitoring

Interventions

Non-Invasive Sleep Monitoring DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Participants will undergo non-invasive and non-contact sleep monitoring under natural sleep conditions. The monitoring system will collect sleep-related physiological signals and estimate sleep parameters, including sleep efficiency, sleep stage distribution, deep sleep proportion, REM sleep stability, heart rate variability, and respiratory variability. This procedure is used for observational data collection only and does not involve treatment or changes to clinical work schedules.

Postgraduate Nurses (PGNs)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of newly employed postgraduate nurses during the early clinical transition period at a medical center in Taiwan. Participants will be followed longitudinally to evaluate sleep-related physiological characteristics, psychological stress, burnout risk, and retention risk using repeated questionnaires and non-invasive sleep monitoring.

You may qualify if:

• Newly employed postgraduate nurses within the first 3 months of clinical practice
• Age 20 to 65 years
• Full-time clinical nursing staff
• Able to read and complete Chinese questionnaires
• Willing to participate in repeated psychological assessments and non-invasive sleep monitoring
• Able to provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Diagnosed severe sleep disorders
• Diagnosed severe psychiatric disorders
• Current use of medications that significantly affect sleep or autonomic nervous system function
• Inability to comply with longitudinal follow-up procedures
• Inability to complete repeated sleep monitoring assessments

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital

Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung City, 80284, Taiwan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Burnout, Psychological; Parasomnias; Occupational Stress; Psychological Well-Being; Fatigue; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Stress, Psychological

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Sleep Wake Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Occupational Diseases; Personal Satisfaction; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias

Study Officials

• Yung-Kuo Lee, PhD

  Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Yung-Kuo Lee, PhD

CONTACT

+886910977485; yungkuolee@gmail.com

Chih-Hsuan Chang, MS

CONTACT

+886905163699; abstyle0204@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 18, 2026
• First Posted: June 24, 2026
• Study Start: August 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 23, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 23, 2027
• Last Updated: June 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TW (1)