According to a survey by Service Employee International Union (SEIU), nearly 80 percent of polled nurses and healthcare workers felt that short staffing is jeopardizing patient care. In the national survey of more than 1,500 frontline nurses and healthcare workers, respondents reported that their floor or unit didn’t have the right level of staff and the unsafe staffing levels were so severe they were directly compromising patient care.
The survey gathered the following alarming conclusions (percentages are rounded to the nearest whole):
- 83 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the assertion, “I feel my floor or unit does not have the right level of staff for the patients I care for or my role.”
- 89 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the assertion, “I feel short staffing at my hospital is compromising patient care.”
- 79 percent of respondents answered “Yes” when asked, “Have you ever witnessed patient care be jeopardized by short staffing?”
- 76 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the assertion, “I feel my facility’s leadership does not take adequate action to address the needs of frontline nurses or healthcare workers like myself.”
- 68 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the assertion, “I do not feel my hospital is prepared for the next COVID-surge, and patient care will be compromised.”
- 63 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the assertion, “I feel I am being forced to find a new job/profession due to short staffing and burnout.”
For more information about this survey or the SEIU, follow this link: SEIU healthcare survey results
Staffing is within the control of the medical facility and its management and inadequacies lead directly to patient harm and injury. This is true in both hospitals and nursing facilities, such as nursing homes.
If you feel your, or a loved one’s, care has been jeopardized by inadequate patient care please call our offices for a free consultation.
