Two-thirds of nurses in UK work while unwell, says union | Nursing

Nurses in the UK are working while sick in understaffed hospitals, with stress a leading cause of illness, research has found.

A Royal College of Nursing (RCN) survey of more than 20,000 nursing staff found 66% were working when they should have been on sick leave, up from 49% in 2017.

Just under two-thirds (65%) of those surveyed said stress was the biggest cause of illness, up from 50% in 2017. Seven in 10 people said they worked beyond their contracted hours at least once a week, with nearly half (52%) doing so for free.

The NHS has more than 25,000 nursing vacancies across England.

RCN chief executive and general secretary Prof Nicola Ranger said nursing staff were being dragged into ill-health by “working in understaffed and under-resourced services”.

“Nursing staff try to do the best they can for every patient on every shift, but they are faced with the impossible task of caring for dozens and sometimes over a hundred patients… the truth is they are not broken; most are already broken,” Ranger said.

“These findings are further, stark evidence that there are too few nursing staff to meet growing demand. New and urgent investments are desperately needed to grow the nursing workforce, ensure staff can work in a safe environment and patients receive the best care.”

The RCN stated that it receives an average of six calls a day from its members regarding the number of staff in their workplaces, and that many are experiencing burnout, panic attacks and nightmares due to working conditions. The union said it expects to receive 2,175 calls by the end of this year, compared to 1,837 in 2023 due to staffing issues.

The survey also heard from staff about their experiences of the unsustainable pressures they face due to health issues and understaffing.

An NHS staff nurse in England told the RCN they had a stress-related chronic illness but were unable to take time off work “because the department was overwhelmed and overloaded”. […] “I don’t want to add anything to that.”

Another staff nurse at an independent care home said they were “scared to go to work knowing we would be understaffed” and that they would “inevitably have to work unpaid hours beyond my hours to get everything done.”

An NHS spokesperson said: “Nurses are at the heart of the healthcare service, working hard every day to care for our patients and we recognize there is more to be done to address burnout and support their wellbeing.

“The NHS has identified practical steps organizations can take to support nurses, and many are already drawing on the growing network of thousands of professional nurse advocates to support the wellbeing of their colleagues. This year’s graduate guarantee has already helped thousands of newly qualified nurses and midwives find work, further reducing vacancies and pressure on frontline nurses.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We highly value the work of skilled nurses and, through our 10-year health plan, we are taking action to improve conditions for the overworked and demoralized workforce we inherit.

“We are also offering better job opportunities to qualified nurses and midwives with a new graduate guarantee to ensure easier access to thousands of new positions, helping to further reduce the burden on existing staff.”