How Shift Workers’ Internal Clock Affects Their Health

March 25, 2026

A Rutgers Health nurse-scientist explains how biological predispositions toward morning or evening alertness determine how well a health care professional adapts to shift schedules

Health care workers who take on extended or overnight shifts, particularly during periods of operational strain, may face heightened fatigue that can affect their own well-being. This fatigue arises not from individual effort or commitment, but from the physiological challenges created when work demands intersect with the body’s internal …