A new survey from Jackson Healthcare shows that while nurses are generally satisfied with their work, they have a negative future outlook due to staff shortages and increases in patient volumes. Findings from the report include:
The majority of nurses are responsible for throughput, Nearly 60 percent of nurses say they manage the entire patient throughput process from admission to discharge.
Nurses must cover unnecessary tasks. Nurses perceive an increase in workload that other personnel are capable of handling leaves them with less time for patients.
Limited staffing lowers care quality and decreases efficiency. More than 60 percent of nurses say limited nurse coverage reduces patient care time; 48 percent say it causes problems with communication; 43 percent say it causes problems with documentation; and 42 percent say it causes fatigue from overwork.
Only 15 percent of nurses report staffing increases in their institutions, and nearly half of nurses perceive a staffing shortage. Nearly 40 percent of nurses work overtime at least weekly.
The mean nurse-to-patient ratio for a typical day is approximately one nurse for every five patients. This ratio is lower for specialty nurses and higher for medical-surgical or non-critical care nurses.
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