[May 08, 2017] |
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Kronos Survey Finds That Nurses Love What They Do Though Fatigue is a Pervasive Problem
A new Kronos
Incorporated survey titled "Employee Engagement in Nursing" finds
that 93 percent of U.S.-based registered nurses (RNs) are satisfied in
their career choice. Despite this, nurse fatigue is a substantial issue
with 98 percent of nurses stating that the work of a nurse is both
physically and mentally demanding. Of note, 44 percent say that their
managers don't know how tired they are and 43 percent hide how tired
they are from their managers. More than four out of five (83 percent)
also say that hospitals today are losing good nurses because
corporations and other employers offer a better work/life balance. The
survey also finds that gaining more control over their schedules is the
top factor that can help nurses alleviate a significant amount of
fatigue, with more than half (55 percent) of nurses agreeing to it.
This national survey of 257 RNs who work in a hospital setting was
designed to look at the issue of fatigue in nursing, and also what
nurses and their hospitals are doing about it. The data shows that
nurses, while satisfied with their career choice, are definitely
fatigued.
News Facts
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Nurses are exhausted and fatigue has consequences
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Ninety-eight percent of nurses say that the work of a nurse is
both physically and mentally demanding, and 93 percent state that
at the end of a typical day they are mentally and/or physically
tired. Four out of five nurses say they find it hard to balance
mind, body, and spirit.
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More than four out of five (85 percent) note that their work
causes them to be fatigued overall, and this has consequences:
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Fifty-six percent of nurses overall and 70 percent of
night-shift nurses say they have driven home from work drowsy,
and 12 percent overall and nearly a quarter (23 percent) of
night-shift nurses have pulled their vehicle off the road to
rest;
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Forty-four percent of nurses worry their patient care will
suffer because they are so tired;
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Thirty-seven percent of nurses say they worry about making a
mistake, and 11 percent state they have made a mistake at work
because they were so tired; and
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Twenty-eight percent of nurses have called in sick just to get
some rest.
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Among the top causes of fatigue, nurses identify the following -
excessive workloads (60 percent); being unable to take lunch and
dinner breaks during a shift (42 percent); not being able to take
any breaks during a shift (41 percent); and not being able to get
enough sleep between shifts (25 percent). Additionally, 24 percent
of nurses say that 12-hour shifts (as opposed to eight-hour
shifts) are key for causing fatigue.
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Nurse fatigue can lead to job burnout
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Though nurses love their work, more than three out of five (63
percent) say their work has caused job burnout and two out of five
(41 percent) state they have considered changing hospitals in the
past year because they have felt burned out.
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Hospitals and health systems should be concerned as 90 percent of
nurses say they have thought of leaving the hospital they work at
to find a different job with better work/life balance and 83
percent state that hospitals are losing good nurses because
corporations and other employers offer a better work/life balance.
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Nurses want more control over their schedules
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When asked who in their organization handles nurse scheduling, 47
percent of nurses say that it is a nurse manager, 35 percent note
that they handle it themselves through self-scheduling, and 11
percent say that a central staffing office handles scheduling.
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Conversely, when asked who they think should handle
scheduling in their organization, 43 percent say they think nurses
should self schedule, while only nine percent think that a nurse
manager shoul own scheduling. Two percent of nurses say that a
central staffing office should be in charge, and 46 percent note
that ownership of scheduling should be some combination of the
three (self scheduling/nurse manager/central staffing office).
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While 86 percent of nurses say their scheduling preferences are
taken into account when creating their schedules and 55 percent
agree they can ask their manager to alter their schedules to
reduce fatigue, 49 percent say that it would help reduce fatigue
if they could easily swap shifts with another nurse.
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Sixty percent of nurses say that if they had more say in their
shift scheduling they would have a better work/life balance, and
55 percent agree that having more control over their scheduling
would help alleviate fatigue.
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Some hospitals are trying to help combat fatigue but not always in
the most effective ways
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While 60 percent of nurses say their hospital offers a wellness
program for employees, only 31 percent agree that their employers
make sure they take a meal break, and only 14 percent say their
employers ensure they leave on time. A full 20 percent say that
their employers don't offer any program to help with fatigue.
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When asked what their hospitals can do to combat fatigue, the top
answer (55 percent) is to offer better schedules. Providing more
breaks (47 percent), offering health and wellness programs (41
percent), and managing overtime more effectively (35 percent) are
also top-of-mind solutions.
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Despite fatigue, nurses love their work and colleagues
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Ninety-three percent of nurses say that, when they consider all
aspects of their work, they are satisfied with being a nurse and
77 percent note they are energized by their work.
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Eighty-three percent of nurses have helped another nurse when that
person was so tired that they needed a break, and 75 percent of
nurses say that if it wasn't for their team at work they don't
know how they would survive.
Supporting Quote
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Susan Reese, DNP, MBA, RN, CPHIMS, director, healthcare practice
group, Kronos (News - Alert)
"This survey shows that it's time to care for
the caregivers. It also confirms what we instinctively know - nurses
are compassionate, hardworking professionals who love what they do. A
workforce that is so inspired by their work is hard to find in other
industries and hospitals and health systems need to invest in
nurturing and supporting their nurses. A fatigued employee at risk of
burnout is not an engaged employee. Combating fatigue can be achieved
by giving nurses more control over their work schedules, ensuring they
have regular breaks, along with offering adequate rest periods between
shifts and access to health and wellness programs. These benefits will
ultimately help nurses, patients, and hospitals and health systems."
Supporting Resources
Survey Methodology Please cite the above research as the
"Employee Engagement in Nursing" survey conducted by Kronos
Incorporated. This online survey was conducted by Regina Corso
Consulting on behalf of Kronos between April 6 and 13, 2017 among 257
employed Registered Nurses (RNs) who work in a hospital setting. Because
the sample is based on those who agreed to participate, no estimates of
sampling error can be calculated. For more information on the survey
methodology, please contact [email protected].
About Kronos Incorporated Kronos is a leading provider of
workforce management and human capital management cloud solutions.
Kronos industry-centric workforce applications are purpose-built for
businesses, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and
government agencies of all sizes. Tens of thousands of organizations -
including half of the Fortune 1000® - and more than 40
million people in over 100 countries use Kronos every day. Visit www.kronos.com.
Kronos: Workforce Innovation That Works.
© 2017 Kronos Incorporated. All rights reserved. Kronos and the Kronos
logo are registered trademarks and Workforce Innovation That Works is a
trademark of Kronos Incorporated or a related company. See a complete
list of Kronos
trademarks. All other trademarks, if any, are property of their
respective owners.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170508005305/en/
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