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Coronavirus and nursing: Passionate but pushed to the limit
from Health Business 20.3
by PSI Media
A recent survey from the Royal College of Nursing revealed its members’ experiences of working during the pandemic. Here we look at the impact that the coronavirus crisis has had on the profession
Completed by almost 42,000 members, the second report of findings about the future of nursing found that 88 per cent of respondents remain passionate about the nursing profession.
However, the survey reveals how hard members have been working and in what circumstances. For example, 38 per cent said staffing levels got worse during the pandemic, 62 per cent said the needs of people they care for became more complex and 76 per cent reported an increase in their own stress levels.
On top of this, 33 per cent said they worked longer hours, but only 40 per cent of those reported getting paid for those hours. Additionally, the RCN also reports that 34 per cent said they worked at a higher level of responsibility, but, again, 90 per cent of those said that they received no extra pay.
Looking at well-being, more than half reported that they’re worried about their own physical (58 per cent) and mental health (52 per cent) and 91 per cent claimed that they’re concerned about the well-being of those in the nursing profession generally.
The first report from the RCN’s Building a Better Future member survey in mid-July showed that across the NHS and independent sectors the percentage thinking of leaving the profession has increased to 36 per cent, from 27 per cent last year.
For those thinking of leaving, 61 per cent highlighted pay as a factor, with others citing the way nursing staff have been treated during the coronavirus pandemic (44 per cent), low staffing levels (43 per cent), and lack of management support (42 per cent). Those findings also showed that while 74 per cent of respondents had felt more valued by the general public in recent months, highlighted through the Clap for Carers campaign, only 18 per cent said they felt more valued by the government.
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Eight key priorities
100 days after the coronavirus pandemic was declared by the World Health Organisation, 19 June, the RCN set out eight key priorities vital for the safety of health care staff and the general public following the initial peak of the pandemic and as a wider range of health services resume. Two of the priorities focused on the need for a supportive and considered approach to the mental health of nursing staff and other health care workers. Many health and social care staff have worked, and continue to work, in particularly stressful, exhausting and traumatic environments, while the backlog of postponed treatment will place great strain on services and, therefore, staff.
The RCN called for employers to make available and fund timely access to confidential counselling and psychological support for all staff, as well as support the health and well-being of nursing staff.
Other priorities include calling on UK governments, relevant agencies and employers to: commit to full and proper risk assessments; tackle underlying causes that contribute to placing BAME staff at heightened risk; ensure nurse leaders are equipped to futureproof infection control and critical care capabilities; and support nursing students as they resume their studies.
PPE
Since the pandemic was declared in March, a few issues have remained at the top of the agenda and news headlines across the UK - one is the disproportionate affect that the pandemic has on the BAME community, especially in health and care staff, and another was the overflow of patients to acre homes without proper procedure or due thought. However, the issue that may have slightly faded in recent weeks is that of personal protective equipment (PPE). Two months into the crisis, and more than a third of nursing staff reported being under pressure to care for patients with possible or confirmed coronavirus without adequate PPE. Although the situation has since reportedly improved, 23 per cent of respondents to the RCN’s member survey on PPE in May who need gowns said there weren’t enough to use, despite promised deliveries. A further 34 per cent said they were concerned about the supply of gowns for their next shift.
Of more concern, more than half of those respondents (58 per cent) said they’d raised concerns about PPE with 27 per cent of those saying their concerns had not been addressed.
A further 44 per cent of respondents were still being asked to reuse single use equipment.
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The Royal College of Physicians
Alongside the work of the RCN, the Royal College of Physicians has also been publishing regular surveys of its members to determine the state of play in their profession. In the most recent survey, dated at the start of August, it was revealed that doctors are concerned for patients as practice and rotas return to normal.
Looking at risk assessment, testing, reset of services, preparedness for further waves of coronavirus and winter, and remote consultations, the RCP stated that the majority of physicians have now returned to their normal areas of clinical practice, with 74 per cent having seen their rotes return to normal. However, in the north west of England only 64 per cent had returned to normal rotas.
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Of more concern, 60 per cent of respondents report being concerned for patients under their care who might have suffered harm or complications following diagnosis or treatment delays during the pandemic. The overwhelming majority (94 per cent) are concerned about the indirect impacts of the virus on their patients, with delays to diagnosis or treatment cited as the most common concern, cited by 58 per cent.
Regionally, London appears to face greater challenges than the rest of England – 46 per cent reported at the start of July that only a small number of procedures were restarting, compared to 30 per cent in the rest of England.
Meanwhile, 64 per cent of respondents reported that they had not been involved in conversations about preparing for a second wave. Of those who have been involved, 93 per cent said that they are preparing on the assumption that a second wave of coronavirus is likely or extremely likely.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
www.rcn.org.uk
