Basic nursing care missed and shifts ‘unsafe’ due to staffing shortages

A Nursing Notes survey has found that half of nurses say their last shift at work was “unsafe”, and basic nursing care is being missed because of staffing shortages.

The survey asked 1,411 registered nurses from across the UK about their last shift at work and found that a massive 53% believed their last shift at work was unsafe due to a lack of nurses on shift.

Responding to the survey, one nurse claimed they were often the “only registered nurse” on a night shift for an acute hospital ward.

Shockingly over two thirds (67%) of nurses also admitted to having witnessed basic nursing care, such as personal care and pressure area care was, was being unintentionally missed in a trade-off between staff and time.

Full story in Nursing Notes, 6 May 2022