Nurse looking out of the window

Urgent measures called for to reduce nursing stress and burnout

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has called for urgent measures to reduce the strain on nursing and midwifery staff in order to minimise burnout and exhaustion.

A new report, The Courage of Compassion, was produced and issued by the King’s Fund for the RCN Foundation and highlights the need for action to address stress and burnout in the profession.

It calls for new minimum standards to improve working conditions and a review of 12-hour shifts.

Staff stress, absenteeism and turnover in the professions have reached alarming levels, according to the report – a fact which has been further compounded by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Eight key recommendations have been laid out in the report in order to better support the wellbeing of nurses and midwives across the UK, including those working in adult social care, GP practices, community care and other settings.

Among the recommendations is an urgent call for a review of how 12-hour shifts affect staff mental health and wellbeing and patient safety. Although some staff prefer them as they allow for more flexible working patterns, evidence shows that 12-hour shifts are associated with poor sleep and wellbeing among staff and lower quality of care for patients.

Other recommendations in the report include suggestions to improve working conditions, shift patterns, workplace culture, team-working, support for new staff, supervision and learning opportunities.

Susan Masters, RCN Director of Nursing, Policy and Public Affairs, said: "Safe staffing and appropriate pay are key priorities related to wellbeing that we are campaigning on. Today, there are approximately 50,000 registered nurse vacancies in the NHS in the UK, impacting patient safety, and morale and wellbeing in the profession at a time when these are crucial.

"At present, really ambitious and well-qualified young people are really struggling with gruelling shifts, staff shortages and poor pay. They feel they have no choice but to leave a career they should love – at a huge cost to patient care. Politicians and officials need to grasp the nettle before we lose even more.”

"While we understand that some of our members prefer 12-hour shifts, such as those with caring responsibilities or long commutes, we also recognise the challenges these shifts can bring. We would welcome a full review of them, and their impact on nursing staff and patient care.

"Where 12-hour shifts are used, employers should offer appropriate support with respect to staff health and wellbeing, including adequate rest breaks, careful rostering and internal rotations."

Jan/Feb

NHE January/February 2024

Boosting NHS productivity demands a healthy dose of realism

Dive into our latest edition for January/February!

Videos...

View all videos
Online Conference

Presenting

2024 Online Conferences

In partnership with our community of health sector leaders responsible for delivering the UK's health strategy across the NHS and the wider health sector, we’ve devised a collaborative calendar of conferences and events for industry leaders to listen, learn and collaborate through engaging and immersive conversation. 

All our conferences are CPD accredited, which means you can gain points to advance your career by attending our online conferences. Also, the contents are available on demand so you can re-watch at your convenience.

National Health Executive Podcast

Ep 41. The truth about drones in the NHS

In episode 41 of the National Health Executive podcast, we were joined by Dr Angela Smith, research fellow at Bournemouth University, and Andy Oakey, research fellow at the University of Southampton, to discuss the viability of drones within the NHS transport system.

More articles...

View all