The Effects of Drowsiness Detection Technology and Education on Nurses’ Beliefs and Attitudes toward Drowsy Driving

Occupational Applications

Nurses’ perceived health threat from driving drowsy along with their attitude toward an intervention can be targeted to improve nurses’ intentions to avoid this dangerous behavior. The evidence presented in this paper suggests that educational interventions that raise awareness of the risks of drowsy driving and its consequences (e.g., fatalities or injuries), as well as peer stories about their experiences, may positively affect nurses’ perceived health threat and attitudes toward drowsy driving interventions.

Technical Abstract

Background

Drowsy driving is prevalent among night-shift nurses, yet there is a gap in understanding nurses’ beliefs and attitudes that may affect their intention to avoid drowsy driving.

Objectives

The objectives of the study were twofold: 1) investigate how behavioral constructs such as beliefs and attitudes may affect nurses’ intention to avoid drowsy driving; and 2) assess changes in such beliefs and attitudes during a study that evaluated the effectiveness of educational and technological interventions.

Methods

Three-hundred night-shift nurses were recruited from a large hospital in Texas to participate in a randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: 1) control; 2) educational intervention; and 3) combined educational and technological intervention. The study utilized an integrated model drawing from the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Health Belief Model to elicit attitudes, beliefs, and intentions to use in-vehicle drowsiness detection technologies. Each group was surveyed pre- intervention and at post-intervention around 3 months later to assess changes in beliefs and attitudes. Structural equation models and path analysis were used to analyze changes in beliefs.

Results

Seventy-nine participants completed the pre-intervention questionnaire, and 44 nurses completed the pre- and post-intervention surveys. Intention was predicted primarily by attitude and perceived health threat. Perceived health threat also mediated the relationship between behavioral intention and the influence of subjective norms as well as perceived behavioral control. Participants who received education about drowsy driving had positive changes in beliefs.

Conclusions

Nurses’ perceived health threat from driving drowsy and their attitude toward our intervention were important motivators to avoid drowsy driving. Interventions aiming at raising awareness of the risks associated with drowsy driving may be effective at motivating nurses to avoid drowsy driving.

Keywords:

• Drowsy driving
• automobile driving
• beliefs modeling
• behavior change
• theory of planned behavior
• behavioral control

Acknowledgements

The authors would also like to thank Jacob M. Kolman, MA, ISMPP CMPP, of Houston Methodist and Texas A&M University, for his critical review, editing, and formatting assistance.

Conflict of Interest

No conflict of interest declared.

Additional information

Funding

Support for this research was provided in part by a Road to Zero Safe Systems Innovation grant from the National Safety Council.