Missed nursing care and related factors: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Nurses face numerous responsibilities, often leading to prioritization of care.
• Missed nursing care can negatively impact patient outcomes and nursing performance.
• Understanding factors contributing to missed nursing care is vital for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of missed nursing care in Iran.
• To identify factors associated with missed nursing care among nurses.
• To provide evidence for improving nursing practice and patient care.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted with 189 nurses in Iran.
• Data were collected using two questionnaires on missed nursing care and related factors.
• Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U test and ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Main Results:

• The mean missed nursing care score was higher than the median, with toilet monitoring and food setup being the most frequent missed care.
• Key contributing factors included nurses engaging in other tasks and inadequate staffing levels.
• Significant associations were found between missed nursing care scores and nurses' age, work experience, and employment type.

Conclusions:

• Addressing the nursing shortage and its impact on patient care is critical for healthcare management and policymakers.
• Strategies to alleviate nursing staff shortages include improving work environments, recruitment, compensation, and benefits.
• Hospitals and governments should invest in better working conditions and support programs for nurses, while management should minimize non-essential tasks.