Prevalence, patterns and predictors of nursing care left undone in European hospitals: results from the multicountry cross-sectional RN4CAST study. Issue 2 (10th November 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ausserhofer, Dietmar; Zander, Britta; Busse, Reinhard; Schubert, Maria; De Geest, Sabina; Rafferty, Anne Marie; Ball, Jane; Scott, Anne; Kinnunen, Juha; Heinen, Maud; Strømseng Sjetne, Ingeborg; Moreno-Casbas, Teresa; Kózka, Maria; Lindqvist, Rikard; Diomidous, Marianna; Bruyneel, Luk; Sermeus, Walter; Aiken, Linda H; Schwendimann, René
• Other Names: Sermeus Walter author non-byline.; Van den Heede Koen author non-byline.; Bruyneel Luk author non-byline.; Lesaffre Emmanuel author non-byline.; Diya Luwis author non-byline.; Aiken Linda author non-byline.; Smith Herbert author non-byline.; Sloane Douglas author non-byline.; Rafferty Anne Marie author non-byline.; Ball Jane author non-byline.; Jones Simon author non-byline.; Griffiths Peter author non-byline.; Kinnunen Juha author non-byline.; Ensio Anneli author non-byline.; Jylhä Virpi author non-byline.; Busse Reinhard author non-byline.; Zander Britta author non-byline.; Blümel Miriam author non-byline.; Mantas John author non-byline.; Zikos Dimitrios author non-byline.; Diomidous Marianna author non-byline.; Scott Anne author non-byline.; Matthews Anne author non-byline.; Staines Anthony author non-byline.; Sjetne Ingeborg Strømseng author non-byline.; Brzostek Tomasz author non-byline.; Kózka Maria author non-byline.; Brzyski Piotr author non-byline.; Moreno-Casbas Teresa author non-byline.; Fuentelsaz-Gallego Carmen author non-byline.; Gonzalez-María Esther author non-byline.; Gomez-Garcia Teresa author non-byline.; Tishelman Carol author non-byline.; Lindqvist Rikard author non-byline.; Smeds Lisa author non-byline.; Geest Sabina De author non-byline.; Schubert Maria author non-byline.; Schwendimann René author non-byline.; Ausserhofer Dietmar author non-byline.; Heinen Maud author non-byline.; Schoonhoven Lisette author non-byline.; van Achterberg Theo author non-byline.;
• Is Part Of: BMJ quality & safety. Volume 23:Issue 2(2014)
• Page Start: 126
• Page End: 135
• Publication Date: 2013-11-10
• Subjects: Health services research -- Nurses -- Patient safety; Medical care -- Quality control -- Periodicals; Health facilities -- Risk management -- Periodicals; Medical errors -- Prevention -- Periodicals; 362.106805
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2013-002318
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2044-5415

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Little is known of the extent to which nursing-care tasks are left undone as an international phenomenon. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence and patterns of nursing care left undone across European hospitals and explore its associations with nurse-related organisational factors. Methods: Data were collected from 33 659 nurses in 488 hospitals across 12 European countries for a large multicountry cross-sectional study. Results: Across European hospitals, the most frequent nursing care activities left undone included 'Comfort/talk with patients' (53%), 'Developing or updating nursing care plans/care pathways' (42%) and 'Educating patients and families' (41%). In hospitals with more favourable work environments (B=−2.19; p<0.0001), lower patient to nurse ratios (B=0.09; p<0.0001), and lower proportions of nurses carrying out non-nursing tasks frequently (B=2.18; p<0.0001), fewer nurses reported leaving nursing care undone. Conclusions: Nursing care left undone was prevalent across all European countries and was associated with nurse-related organisational factors. We discovered similar patterns of nursing care left undone across a cross-section of European hospitals, suggesting that nurses develop informal task hierarchies to facilitate important patient-care decisions. Further research on the impact of nursing care left undone for patient outcomes and nurse well-being is required.