Majority of nurses say staffing levels pose risk to patient safety, INMO survey finds

Among this group 'over 90% expressed concern about compromised patient safety', the INMO said.

Over 70% of nurses and midwives say staff numbers in their areas do not match demand, and almost all of these warned that patient safety is at risk, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has found.

In addition, as the pressures grow, 55.4% said they experienced aggressive verbal or threatening behaviour at work.

A shocking one in five has experienced physical violence in the workplace.

The annual survey, published on Wednesday at the start of the INMO annual conference in Wexford, raises serious questions about safety.

Some 72% said “their current staffing levels and skill mix did not meet the required clinical and patient demands in their work area,” the union found.

Among this group “over 90% expressed concern about compromised patient safety”, the INMO said.

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.” 

She warned that this level of stress cannot 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,” she said of other findings.

She called for urgent focus on improvements in staff numbers.

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'. Picture: Gareth Chaney

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.” 

She went on to say: “It is not realistic or fair to expect people to keep going in to work in these conditions, putting their physical and mental health at risk for their work.” 

Due to these stresses, 61.5% had “considered leaving their work area in the past month”.

In this group of potential leavers, 80.9% said staffing numbers and skills are “inappropriate” for demand in their areas.

Some 83.4% of this group also believe their work “negatively impacted their psychological wellbeing” and 81.5% said their physical health was affected.

Out of all those who answered, 69% said their work was impacting their physical health.

Some 39.7% believed their work negatively impacted their psychological wellbeing ‘a great deal’ or ‘a lot’.

A further 24% attended their GP for work-related stress.

Almost 70% said they are “often or always” worn out after work, and 49% said they feel exhausted even in the morning when thinking about work.

In addition, 48.7% said they felt “pressured to work additional hours or shifts” to fill the gaps.

The number of staff working between one and 10 hours unpaid every month now stands at 64.7%.