Nurses leaving because they feel they cannot provide 'the best of care' to patients

University Hospital Waterford Emergency Department clinical nurse manager Mary Dunne: 'It is very frustrating for nurses on the ground to be not able to give the absolute best of care.'

Nurses are leaving in their droves as they simply do not feel they can provide care to their patients, according to delegates at the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) annual conference which is taking place in Killarney this week.

Two nurses told the Irish Examiner about the growing challenges they face on a day-to-day basis.

University Hospital Limerick (UHL) senior staff nurse Ann Noonan has been a nurse for more than 30 years and said she used to know she was doing her best for patients.

“Now I think people are leaving their jobs because they can’t fulfill what they feel is the best of care," she said.

"You’re avoiding eye contact when you’re inside in work because you are nearly afraid the patient will ask you for something, while you’re so busy doing other things,” she said.

Staff shortages mean patients are not getting care to match their needs, she said.

She also raised concern about the trolley crisis, noting UHL has been particularly badly impacted. On April 21, UHL had 126 people waiting on trolleys, the highest number ever recorded on a single day by the INMO. 

University Hospital Limerick senior staff nurse Ann Noonan: 'I think people are leaving their jobs because they can’t fulfil what they feel is the best of care.'

She added: “I would say every single day, if we have less than 80 [on trolleys], it’s a good day.” 

University Hospital Waterford emergency department clinical nurse manager Mary Dunne said: “It is very frustrating for nurses on the ground to be not able to give the absolute best of care. If you’ve to share that load over a vast number of patients, then care becomes compromised.” 

She added: “It’s a huge challenge in the ED to mind everybody. We worry about ambulances that are waiting outside the door, even though we have a triage system in place. You’ve ambulances rocking up, five, six, or seven ambulances outside your door and you’re trying to prioritise who you will let in next.” 

Evidence suggests patients arriving at EDs should be triaged within 10 minutes but patients wait “well beyond that” she said, which leads to spending more time in hospital.