Empowering Nurses Through Shared Governance: A Council-Led Evidence-Based Initiative Driving Practice and Policy Advancement.

Circadian rhythm activity cycles are important for health (Sharma ) and their disruption can impact disease risk (Azami et al. ; Boivin and Boudreau ; Huang et al. ). Research within biological anthropology conceptualizes circadian rhythms as evolved adaptations shaped by natural environments (Pozzi et al. ; Rea et al. ; Samson et al. ) but often neglect how sociopolitical forces, such as exploitative work schedules and conditions, disrupt these biological systems in humans. This oversight is significant because, in circadian rhythm‐disrupting (CRD) work environments, people may experience significant irregularity in the eating, sleeping, and activity cycles that form their circadian rhythms. Focusing on nurses, a population burdened by shift work's demands, this study bridges the gap by examining CRD as a biocultural phenomenon: one where workplace power dynamics, staffing shortages, and constrained break times exacerbate CRD's cardiometabolic toll. Specifically, we focused on the way that work schedules may require workers to ignore their natural and evolved rhythms, leading to potential health consequences. Circadian rhythm refers to the natural oscillation of behavior and physiological functions that occurs roughly every 24 h (Young and Kay ). Organisms have both central and peripheral mechanisms that can respond to and be entrained by environmental cycles. These mechanisms coordinate biological processes to anticipate and prepare for regular change in order to better use resources (Sharma ). Previous research has illustrated that humans' circadian rhythms are governed by light–dark cycles, social interactions, activity, stress, meal timing, and even temperature (Vitaterna et al. ). The sleep–wake cycle is the primary circadian rhythm. It is influenced mainly by light, which serves as a “Zeitgeber” or time‐giver, aligning body functions through the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain (Hastings et al. ). Consistent rhythms promote health, while disruption of the sleep–wake cycle has been linked to inflammation, hormone imbalances, and higher risks of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases (Reddy et al. ).