Missed nursing care in hospital environments during the COVID-19 pandemic

Studies performed in Central European countries showed a high prevalence of missed nursing care in various clinical settings before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of the study was to investigate which domains of the work environment were significant predictors of missed nursing care activities in Czech hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A cross-sectional study was used. The RANCARE guideline and STROBE checklist were followed for reporting in the study. The sample consisted of 371 nurses from four acute care hospitals. The MISSCARE Survey and the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index questionnaires were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using multiple linear and logistic regression analyses.

Nurses reporting unfavorable environments consistently describe a higher frequency of episodes of missed care. Prevalence estimates of missed care in Czech acute care hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic was predicted from the overtime work, the nurses' perception of the "Nursing foundations for the quality of care," and their satisfaction with their current position.

Missed nursing care could be mitigated by improving the nurses' work environment. Domains of the nurse work environment are known as structural modifiable factors and their refinement could be a cornerstone for interventions to reduce the prevalence of missed nursing care.

Monitoring the conditions and aspects of the nurse work environment in hospitals and considering nurses' concerns about the work environment on an ongoing basis are important strategies for nurse supervision as well as for policymakers.