Which intervention is most likely to reduce fatigue-related cognitive errors among clinicians?

• A. Sleep hygiene integration to clinician wellness programs reduces fatigue and cognitive errors.
• B. Extend shift lengths for all clinicians.
• C. Increase administrative tasks.
• D. Limit breaks to a maximum of 15 minutes.

Answer: (A)

Fatigue undermines attention, working memory, and decision-making, which increases the chance of cognitive errors in patient care. Interventions that directly improve sleep quality and consistency help restore alertness and cognitive control, reducing the likelihood that fatigue will lead to mistakes. Integrating sleep hygiene into clinician wellness programs addresses patterns that drive fatigue—like irregular sleep schedules, insufficient rest, and circadian disruption—so clinicians can perform more accurately during clinical duties.

Extending shift lengths tends to worsen fatigue by reducing time for sleep and increasing circadian misalignment, which elevates error risk. Adding administrative tasks increases cognitive load and fatigue instead of relieving it. Limiting breaks to very short periods deprives clinicians of essential recovery moments, allowing fatigue to accumulate and impair performance over the shift.