Assessment of The Effect of Stress, Sociodemographic Variables and Work-Related Factors on Rationing of Nursing Care

Abstract

(1) Rationing of nursing care is withholding, limiting or not fulfilling the necessary nursing activities for patients. It may have a negative effect on patient safety and the quality of care. The aim of the present paper is the assessment of the effect of stress on the rationing of nursing care. (2) The current research has a cross-sectional, observational design. The study sample comprised 567 nurses. The following questionnaires were used in the study PIRNCA and PSS-10. (3) It was demonstrated that nurses with a high level of perceived stress rationed nursing care to a greater extent and showed lower assessment of nursing care and lower job satisfaction in comparison with nurses with average and low levels of perceived stress. (4) 1. Stress in nurses has a negative effect on rationing of nursing care and job satisfaction. It is recommended that actions aimed at developing effective stress coping skills be implemented as early as at the stage of training to become a nurse. 2. Factors such as marital status, sex, form of employment, place of employment and the level of professional burnout syndrome may have an influence on the level of experienced stress. In turn, the level of experienced stress, marital status, education, place of work as well as the place of residence may have an effect on rationing of nursing care and, consequently, affect the quality of care.

Unfinished nursing care in healthcare settings during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review

“…Out of the 25 studies included (Table 1 ), 20 used a descriptive cross-sectional design (e.g., [ 34 ]) and five a comparative cross-sectional design confronting the data (a) before and during the pandemic [ 35 ]; (b) or before the pandemic, and the second/third wave [ 38 ]; and (c) of the COVID-19 sample and the reference sample [ 37 , 48 , 54 ]. Most studies were conducted in Europe (= 12, e.g., [ 50 ]) and Asia (= 11, e.g., [ 45 ]). Of the remaining, one was carried out in Africa [ 47 ] and one in Canada [ 53 ].…”

“…Of the remaining, one was carried out in Africa [ 47 ] and one in Canada [ 53 ]. Study locations ranged from a hospital (e.g., [ 35 ]) to specific hospital settings (tertiary [ 55 ], district [ 51 ], government [ 56 ], private [ 34 ], teaching [ 50 ]) in various types of units (e.g., medical/surgical [ 54 ], urology [ 43 ], cardiology [ 48 ]). In addition, COVID-19 units were included in two studies [ 22 , 37 , 41 ] and nursing homes in another two [ 22 , 40 ].…”

“…Studies were published between 2020 and 2023; however, nine of them completed the data collection in 2020 (e.g., [ 52 ]), 10 in 2021 (e.g., [ 47 ]), two between 2020 and 2021 [ 37 , 50 ], one in 2022 [ 55 ], two between 2019 and 2020 [ 35 , 54 ], and one between 2019 and 2021 [ 38 ]. Participants were mainly nurses, and their sample size ranged from 130 [ 42 ] to 672 [ 34 ] in 21 studies; in others, participants were generally identified as “care workers”, ranging from 374 [ 22 ] to 2,700 [ 40 ], while those including nursing assistants and registered nurses together ranged from 43 [ 48 ] to 287 [ 54 ] participants.…”

“… the tools used different metrics (Likert from 1 to 5 for MISSCARE Survey and UNCS, from 0 to 4 for BERNCA, from 0 to 3 for PIRNCA, from 1 to 4 for BERNCA-NH, from 1 to 4 for ICU-ONC) and differed in the direction of measures (e.g., from always missed to never missed, e.g., [ 43 ], or the opposite, e.g. [ 50 ]); and UNC interventions reflect an order [ 58 , 59 ], such as first, second, and third, of interventions missed, expressing a prioritisation process (what should be actualised first and what can be delayed). …”

“…the tools used different metrics (Likert from 1 to 5 for MISSCARE Survey and UNCS, from 0 to 4 for BERNCA, from 0 to 3 for PIRNCA, from 1 to 4 for BERNCA-NH, from 1 to 4 for ICU-ONC) and differed in the direction of measures (e.g., from always missed to never missed, e.g., [ 43 ], or the opposite, e.g. [ 50 ]); and…”