Published Paper Details:

VOCAL FATIGUE IS VERY COMMON AMONG PROFESSIONAL VOICE USERS LIKE, ACTORS, SINGERS, AND TEACHERS, THEIR WORK REQUIRES PROLONGED AND EFFECTIVE USE OF VOICE. NURSES ARE CLASSIFIED AS GRADE III PROFESSIONAL VOICE USERS. WHILE MANY PROFESSIONS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO CONCERNS WITH VOCAL HEALTH, THE MAJORITY OF RECENT RESEARCH HAS BEEN ON TEACHERS AND SINGERS. LITTLE ATTENTION HAS BEEN PAID TO THE OCCURRENCE OF VOICE RELATED ISSUES IN NURSES. THIS RESEARCH AIM TO STUDY WHETHER NURSES WORKING IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE VOCAL FATIGUE AND TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS LEADING TO VOCAL FATIGUE MANIFESTING IN VOICE DISORDER IF NOT ATTENDED TO ON TIME. A TOTAL OF 55 NURSES RECRUITED IN THE STUDY INCLUDING NURSING STUDENTS TO SISTER-IN CHARGE WORKING IN ALL 3 SHIFTS FROM AGE RANGE OF 18 TO 45 YRS. OUT OF 55 NURSES, 9.25% REPORTED SCORES OF >= 24 INDICATING WORSE VOCAL FATIGUE, WHICH IS RELATED TO FACTOR 1 I.E. TIREDNESS RELATED TO VOICE AND VOICE AVOIDANCE. ON FACTOR 2, 31.48% NURSES REPORTED SCORES OF >=7 INDICATING WORSE VOCAL FATIGUE, WHICH INDICATES PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT ASSOCIATED WITH VOICING. FOR FACTOR 3, ABOUT 66.66% NURSES REPORTED SCORES OF <=7 THAT INDICATES NO IMPROVEMENT IN VOCAL FATIGUE WITH REST. SIMILAR FINDINGS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN NURSES WORKING IN MANGALORE, WHERE THEY REPORTED 33.12% NO VOCAL FATIGUE AND REST 66.88% REPORTED VOCAL FATIGUE IN SOME FORM.