It is no surprise that nurses are some of the most overworked professionals. They often work long shifts, work off little sleep and still have to care for other human lives. The culture of overworking nurses negatively affects patients and leads to more medical errors in Missouri.
According to Healthline, over half of nurses asked say that they do not get enough sleep throughout the week. In addition, they do not generally eat well. Another restriction on their job is the lack of authority. Nurses do not have to think critically and make decisions based on the patient. In fact, they cannot do this without facing penalties. If there are no doctors nearby or available, this can be devastating for a patient. Staffing and overtime can lead to medical malpractice.
The U.S Department of Health and Human Services warns that nurses who work long shifts and overtime can increase the risks to the patient. Nursing is a high-risk industry and the amount of stress, paired with the workload can lead to burnout. Burnout can lead to patients missing nursing care. For instance, when there are too many patients and the hospital spreads nurses too thin, then it is more likely that a person will not see a nurse for his or her care.
Nursing is a high-intensity career. In order to give the best possible care to a patient, the nurse needs a suitable environment. Often patient care requires complex tasks. Any interruption can lead to mistakes. Unfortunately, nurses have to face interruptions consistently through their shifts. Medical administration errors are more common when interruptions occur.