Missed Nursing Care From the Perspectives of Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Denmark

To identify the prevalence and types of missed nursing care in a Danish hospital context from patients' perspectives and to examine associations between missed nursing care, patient demographics, and patient-reported adverse events.

Cross-sectional study.

A total of 284 medical and surgical patients from 21 wards at a Danish university hospital completed the Danish version of the MISSCARE Survey-Patient. Descriptive statistics and analyses of associations between missed nursing care and patient demographics and adverse events were conducted.

Patients reported an overall prevalence of missed nursing care of 15%, with most omissions occurring in the physical care domain (22%), followed by psychosocial care (13%) and timeliness (6%). The most frequently missed activities included oral care, clarity about which nurse was responsible for their care, repositioning in bed, and help with eating. Medication errors were significantly associated with higher missed nursing care scores across all domains, while associations with other adverse events and demographics were inconsistent.

Patients generally perceived a low prevalence of missed nursing care, although notable variations were observed across care domains and specific activities. Incorporating patient perspectives alongside nurse perspectives offers a more complete understanding of missed nursing care.

Continuous assessment of missed nursing care from patients' perspectives could serve as a valuable complement to nurse-reported assessments, helping to identify specific areas for improvement. Targeted interventions addressing activities with higher patient-reported missed nursing care may enhance both care quality and patient outcomes.

STROBE guidelines were followed.

Patients were not involved in the study's design, conduct, or reporting.

This study highlights missed nursing care from patients' perspectives, revealing key care gaps. The findings can inform hospital administrators, nursing leaders, nursing educators, and policymakers in developing strategies to improve care quality and patient satisfaction.