29.09.17
Nurses ‘sob’ over care standards as many consider leaving altogether
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has called for urgent new legislation to tackle the staffing crisis in the NHS by guaranteeing safe and effective workforce practices.
The calls come as part of a major report, published today, which surveyed over 30,000 of its members.
When asked about the last shift that they worked, respondents painted a picture of services stretched to their limits, with insufficient staff to provide adequate patient care. More than half said that there had been less nurses on shift than planned, and that their ability to deliver care suffered as a result.
Over a third of those questioned said that there were elements of patient care that they were simply unable to complete due to time constraints, despite two-thirds of those taking part in the survey reporting working for an additional hour at the end of their shift, which was unpaid.
One nurse’s dissatisfaction with the care that they had been able to deliver was so great that they described “sobbing” in the car on their way home.
The survey revealed that many nurses are contemplating their future and considering leaving the profession altogether. Those who took part described the ‘burn-out’ of their colleagues who are unable to work due to their own health problems.
Following the long shifts that the profession demands, many report feeling unable to provide the care and attention to their families that is so important to a content home-life. Some nurses expressed concerns that patients no longer have the dignity that they deserve, and that some are dying alone.
Janet Davies, chief executive of the RCN, said: “When this many professionals blow the whistle, they cannot be overlooked.
“The nursing shortage is biting hard and needs the attention of ministers. This warning comes from the very people they cannot afford to lose.”
The royal college is calling for clear legislation around safe staffing levels, to guarantee safe and effective numbers on each shift. It also repeated its demands for increased funding to health and care services to meet increasing patient demand.
Chief executive of Nuffield Trust, Nigel Edwards, argued the report reveals what was “sadly all too predictable: NHS staff and their patients are bearing the brunt of an abject and long-term failure to plan the nursing workforce.”
He added: “As well as tackling workforce shortages through attracting nurses to the profession, it is vital to hang on to the committed and talented staff we already have. Nurses are the largest professional group in the NHS but that is not an excuse for treating them as interchangeable units.
“Yet the report reveals a worrying disregard for the existing nursing workforce, making it likely – and understandable – that many nurses will vote with their feet.”
NHS Providers CEO Chris Hopson called the findings “a powerful reminder of the relentless pressures faced by frontline staff, whatever the time of year.”
“Trusts are doing all they can to sustain safe staffing levels under the most difficult circumstances,” he continued. “But they need national support including a plan to tackle current workforce gaps based on realistic training timetables and a credible long-term workforce strategy to ensure the NHS has the right number of staff with the right skills in the right place.”