More than 80% of nurses missing out on patient care

More than 80% of nurses are being forced to "ration care" because they don't have enough time to properly look after patients, a new study suggests.

The authors from the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery and the University of Southampton, found:

• 86% of nurses were unable to perform at least one of 13 care elements because they were too busy
• 66% of nurses unable to comfort or talk to patients
• Just over half of nurses saying they were forced to skip "educating patients"

• 47% said they didn't have time to develop or update nursing care plans
• The average nurse cared for 7.8 patients on a day shift
• The average nurse cared for 10.9 patients on a night shift

• Nurses looking after 11 or more patients were twice as likely to say they rationed patient monitoring as those looking after six or fewer patients
• 78% of nurses in the best staffed environments reported some care was missed on their last shift, compared with 90% of those with lower staffing levels