The Nursing Workforce in Critical Care Units in University and Private Hospitals in Turkey

Abstract

Amaç: Çalışma, Türkiye'deki üniversite ve özel yoğun bakım ünitelerinde hemşire iş gücü ile ilgili mevcut durumu ortaya koymak amacı ile yapıldı.Gereç ve Yöntemler: Tanımlayıcı tipteki çalışmaya, Türkiye'deki 144 yoğun bakım üni-tesinde görev yapan 1416 hemşirelik çalışanı alındı. Veriler posta yoluyla toplandı, analizinde tanımlayıcı istatistikler kullanıldı.Bulgular: Hemşirelik çalışanlarının %89,4'ü hemşiredir; %66'sı lisans, %0,5'i yüksek lisans mezunudur. Katılımcıların, %48,6'sı yoğun bakım ünitesine özel hiçbir eğitim almamıştır, %68,9'unun toplam çalışma süresi 0,1-5 yıl arasında olup %30,2'sinin yoğun bakımda çalışma süresi bir yıl ya da bir yılın altındadır. İlgili soruya yanıt veren yoğun bakım ünitelerinden elde edilen verilerle yapılan hesaplamalara göre, hemşire devir hızı ortalama araştırmanın yapıldığı tarihten önceki bir yılda %31,3, beş yılda %100'dür. Hemşire-hasta oranı, üniversite hastanelerinde 1:4, özel hastanelerde 1:2'dir. Günlük çalışma süreleri ünitelere göre farklılık göstermekte olup, katılımcıların %89,6'sı günde 8 saatten daha uzun süre çalışmaktadır. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the present status of the nursing workforce in Turkish university and private hospital intensive care units. Material and Methods:This study was a descriptive survey. A total of 1416 nursing staff members in the intensive care units of 144 Turkish hospitals participated in this study. Data were collected by mail and analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: In this study, 89.4% of nursing staff members were nurses; 66% had a bachelor's degree and 0.5% had a master's degree. Of the participants, 48.6% had not received any critical care-related training, 68.9% had been in the workforce between 0.1 to 5 years, and 30.2% had worked in the intensive care unit for 1 year or less. According to calculations based on data provided by the ICUs that responded to the relevant questions, the average turnover rate was 31.3% in the first year and 100% over the 5 years preceding the survey. The nurse-to-patient ratio was 1:4 in university hospitals and 1:2 in private hospitals. Daily working hours varied from unit to unit, with 89.6% of participants working for more than 8 hours per day. Conclusion:The findings indicate that the quality and quantity of nursing staff in Turkish university and private hospital intensive care units fall short of the minimum national or international standards. (Yoğun Bakım Derg 2014; 5: 5-10)

Relationship between nurses' practice environments and nursing outcomes in Turkey

“…Studies of intensive care units revealed nurses' workloads were very high (Sevinç et al. ; Teixeira et al. ).…”

Evaluation of Injuries Involving Exposure to Blood and Body Fluids Among Hospital Healthcare Workers

“…In addition, according to our survey data, needles were the leading medical instrument causing injuries (77.55%, n=38), which corroborates the results of other similar studies. The habit of needle recapping, patient density due to high birth rates in our region, difficulties with staff recruitment [16,17] , sudden reflex movements and agitation of patients during suturing, and inappropriate waste management can be cited as occupational factors leading to needle-stick injuries.…”

Is Nurse Workforce Sufficient in Intensive Care Units in Turkey? Results of the Multicenter Karia Study

“…Adequate number of experienced ICU nurses is of quite importance in proper healthcare [11,12] . Inadequate nurse staffing and ICU nurses who do not have specialized knowledge and skills are associated with increased mortality [11] .…”

“…Inadequate nurse staffing and ICU nurses who do not have specialized knowledge and skills are associated with increased mortality [11] . In a recent study involving 1416 nursing staff members in ICUs in 144 Turkish hospitals, 48.6% had not received any critical care-related training and 30.2% had worked in the ICU for 1 year or less [12] . Similarly, our study shows that almost ¼ of nurses working in level 3 ICUs had <1 year of experience.…”