Patient care jeopardised by nurse stress

Findings from a new report released by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) show that patient care is being put at risk by staff cuts and excessive workloads, leading to unprecedented nurse stress and ill health.

The Royal College of Nursing’s ‘Beyond Breaking Point?’ survey of over 2000 nursing staff working in a range of settings across the NHS and in the private sector, found that more than half (55%) have been made unwell by stress over the previous year.

The most significant causes of stress are being unable to deliver the care they would like, increasing workloads, feeling unsupported by managers and the rapid pace of change. Despite this, the vast majority of nurses (82%) reported that they have gone to work despite feeling too ill to do so over the same period, raising concerns that safe patient care could be jeopardised.

Further findings from the survey include:

  • Almost a third (30%) of respondents reported that work often or always has an impact on their health and wellbeing;
  • One in nine (11.5%) had been injured by moving and handling patients during the last year, with a further 4% being injured by potentially serious needlestick injuries;
  • Many nurses reported that sickness absence policies were so punitive that they had no alternative but to attend work.

Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the RCN said: “In the aftermath of the Francis Inquiry, it is clearer than ever that working cultures in the NHS and beyond have a direct and serious effect on the level of care that staff can provide to patients. Our whole care system is currently facing the huge challenge of delivering care at a time of increased demand and scant resource. This is the reality which nurses face in every working day.

“There is much that managers and employers can do, and should be doing, to support staff and keep patients safe. By ensuring there are enough staff to deliver care, and enabling staff to raise concerns safely, the positive working culture which exists in many places could be the reality everywhere.”

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