Almost three-quarters of nurses and midwives in the Republic of Ireland say their workplaces do not have the right staffing levels and skill mix to meet patient demand, according to a new survey.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) warned that short staffing was having a detrimental impact on patient care, as well as the health and wellbeing of its members.
“This level of stress, exhaustion and physical strain over many years has a very serious effect on our members and should not be tolerated”
Phil Ní Sheaghdha
The survey, which gathered data from more than 2,000 mursing and midwifery staff, comes during the union’s annual conference, being held in Wexford this week.
Of those who responded to the survey, 72% said current staffing levels and skill mix in their service did not meet the clinical and patient demands.
Among those who cited inadequate staffing in their area of work, over 90% expressed concerns about compromised patient safety and almost half (49%) reported feeling pressure to work additional hours or shifts to make up the shortfall.
The effect of this pressure on staff retention was made clear through the INMO survey.
Some 61.5% of respondents stated that they had considered leaving their work area in the past month, with workplace stress given as the primary reason.
The survey also revealed trends around the impact that work pressures were having on nurses’ and midwives’ physical and mental health.
Of the total respondents, 69% reported that their work was impacting their physical health, with 55% stating they were “always” or “very often” physically exhausted.
Some 40% also told the survey they believed their work negatively impacted their psychological wellbeing “a great deal” or “a lot”.
Concerningly, almost a quarter (24%) of nurses and midwives said they had attended their GP due to work-related stress.
Emotional exhaustion and burnout also featured in responses, with almost 70% of respondents saying they often or always felt worn out at the end of the working day.
Meanwhile, almost half (49%) stated they felt exhausted in the morning at the thought of the working day ahead.
The survey also highlighted the level of violence being perpetrated against nurses and midwives.
Over half of respondents (55%) reported that they had experienced aggressive (verbal or threatening) behaviour in the workplace, while one in five stated they had experienced physical violence at work.
INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “Our members have been very clear in this survey that staffing levels are having a detrimental effect on patient care and a severe impact on nurses’ and midwives’ ability to protect their own health and safety.
“This level of stress, exhaustion and physical strain over many years has a very serious effect on our members and should not be tolerated.
“To have one in five workers attending their GP for work-related stress would be a scandal in many workplaces and industries, but this is the level of sacrifice that is expected from our members and it is simply not sustainable.”
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said it was “critical” that improvements were made in the coming months to staffing and workforce planning, including legislation around safe staffing levels.
“This needs to happen not simply to protect these healthcare workers and their patients but to protect the future of the health service,” she added.
Meanwhile, INMO president Caroline Gourley said: “The message from our members couldn’t be clearer: they are stretched to breaking point trying to keep patients safe in an unsafe working environment and their own health and wellbeing are suffering as a result.
“It is not realistic or fair to expect people to keep going into work in these conditions, putting their physical and mental health at risk for their work.
“The dedication and commitment of nurses and midwives should not be the glue holding the health service together. Our members’ goodwill is not a substitute for effective workforce planning.”
The Department of Health in Ireland was contacted for comment.
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