Nurses and midwives are among society’s most highly valued professionals. But a disturbing national picture is emerging of escalating levels of over-work and burnout.
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Nurses say their concerns are being ignored by management, amid fear of retribution for speaking out.
Our national survey of 3000 nurses and midwives found 32 per cent were actively considering leaving the profession. This comes at a time when the federal government is estimating a workforce shortfall of 85,000 by 2025 and 123,000 by 2030.
Since 2011, we have surveyed nurses on their working conditions, wellbeing, and organisational and management practices. Previous surveys in 2011 and 2013 painted a picture of increasing work demands. But, this year, all indicators of work intensification have gone upwards.
Worryingly, 71 per cent felt they often had more work than they could do well (up from 64 per cent in 2013). Two-thirds (67 per cent) reported their jobs required them to work very fast at least several times a day (up from 61 per cent in 2013), while 67 per cent had to work “very hard” several times a day (up from 63 per cent in 2013).
Key factors in this workload included inadequate staff levels, excessive administrative tasks and inappropriate skill mix.
In the face of this, one of the emerging challenges for management will be staff retention. Some 32 per cent of respondents said they were “likely” or “very likely” to leave the nursing/midwifery profession – a significant concern, given the average age of survey respondents was 47.
Whereas a typical organisation might expect a turnover of up to 4 per cent, our study found 25 per cent were very likely to leave the profession in the next 12 months.
So, a strategy for around maintaining skilled and experienced staff is essential.
Our initial findings indicate that, despite improved attempts by management to communicate with staff, nurses and midwives continued to feel excluded from day-to-day decision making.
More than half (54 per cent) weren’t confident to openly voice their concerns. This reflected a general feeling of disconnection between management and nurses and midwives. Another aspect of concern was the finding that nearly half (45 per cent) of those surveyed believed their organisation had not invested in their further development.
On the positive side, graduate intake remains good; however, deterioration of working conditions may serve as a deterrent to new graduates if not addressed.
While few would deny nursing is a rewarding career, it can be particularly stressful, and it is vital that those in the profession remain healthy and supported. It is of great concern that highly skilled nurses aged 45 years and above are in the category of lowest hours worked in the profession.
After this third survey, it appears the workforce is coming to a tipping point, with work intensification a key factor. These outcomes are likely to accelerate the departure of highly skilled and dedicated people, who will be expensive to replace.
Such high turnover will affect the quality of healthcare in an environment characterised by an ageing population and increasing chronic disease. Issues associated with dissatisfaction at work are all in the control of those managing the system. Targeted interventions are urgently needed.
Peter Holland is associate professor and Tse Leng Tham is a research student and teaching associate at Monash University. This article was originally published on The Conversation.
