Staff levels ‘put patients at risk’
Derek Reilly, a member of the Kildare branch of the INO, said this was in marked contrast to patient/nurse ratios in acute hospitals where at least three nurses are present overnight for a similar number of patients.
“It makes no sense when patients are transferred out of acute hospitals into elderly care settings, often with the same level of dependency, that there is just one nurse for between 30-40 patients,” he said.
“Yet that is the norm.”
Mr Reilly said while there were care assistants to back up the nurse, they were often unqualified personnel. He said low staffing levels compromised patient care.
His claims were backed up by Judith Oulton, chief executive with the International Council of Nurses, a Swiss-based federation of more than 120 national nurses’ associations.
Ms Oulton said it was “never good to have one nurse with 40 patients”.
She said research showed that adding just one patient above four in a surgical unit “increased by 14% the likelihood that patient will die in the care of that nurse within 30 days”.
She said low staffing levels resulted in a greater number of patient falls, more medical errors and delayed patient discharges and that safe staffing saved lives.
Delegates at the INO conference in Cavan yesterday voted in favour of a number of motions calling for improved staffing levels.
A motion proposed by the Roscommon branch of the INO executive council called for legislation to address staffing levels to deal with the problems created by increased workloads for nurses, including unacceptable levels of stress and occupational injury.
A separate motion called for rostering that would allow for a mandatory surplus staff of 25% to replace staff on various types of leave.
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