{"id":5368,"date":"2023-07-05T10:00:23","date_gmt":"2023-07-05T10:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eu.bd.com\/iv-news\/?p=5368"},"modified":"2023-05-26T07:41:46","modified_gmt":"2023-05-26T07:41:46","slug":"addressing-nurse-retention-with-healthcare-worker-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eu.bd.com\/iv-news\/news-innovation\/addressing-nurse-retention-with-healthcare-worker-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Addressing nurse retention with healthcare worker safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

High turnover among healthcare workers is an increasingly common phenomenon in hospitals worldwide, especially in intensive care units.1<\/sup> According to the World Health Organisation, the healthcare workforce shortage is projected to reach 4.1 million in the EU-28 by 2030.2<\/sup><\/p>\n

Healthcare workers, and nurses in particular, face a wide range of hazards in the workplace,3<\/sup> and it is imperative to keep them protected and empowered so we can secure uninterrupted, resilient patient care in the future.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the factors that impact nurse retention, and how you can implement greater healthcare worker safety to help retain staff.<\/p>\n

Healthcare worker safety hazards<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2017, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare and social assistance industries were already reporting more injury and illness cases than other private industry sectors in the United States.3<\/sup> In the same study, nursing assistants reported the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders out of all occupations.3<\/sup><\/p>\n

Nurses risk exposure to bloodborne pathogens, hazardous drugs and radiation as well as psychological and ergonomic hazards, such as stress, burnout and musculoskeletal disorders.3-5<\/sup><\/p>\n

The physical hazards may also result in psychological trauma. According to research by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the European Biosafety Network, 25% of nurses in Germany suffer from mental or psychological health disorders as a direct result of an adverse safety event in the workplace.6<\/sup><\/p>\n

Learn more about the psychological consequences of adverse safety events: <\/strong>Feeling down after a needlestick injury? You\u2019re not alone.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

European nurse retention and recruitment rates are low<\/strong><\/p>\n

Health Europa goes so far as to say that nurses are leaving the workforce at an \u201cunprecedented pace.\u201d7 <\/sup>Globally, turnover rates among nurses are reportedly around 20% per year, while rates in some countries reach as high as 40%.1,8-10\u00a0 <\/sup>Stress, fatigue, emotional exhaustion, understaffing and poor patient safety can be seen as predictors of nurses\u2019 intention to leave.1 <\/sup><\/p>\n

A 2022 UK National Health Service (NHS) study found that staff members who had a recent sick leave due to physical symptoms were more likely to subsequently leave the acute sector.11<\/sup> This rate was even stronger when absences were related to mental health.11 <\/sup>The cycle continues for the healthcare workers that remain on the job, as high turnover in a hospital ward may lead to increased overtime, fatigue, stress and low job satisfaction among the remaining staff.1<\/sup><\/p>\n

Staff shortages may also have an impact on patient care: one systematic review found that poor wellbeing and moderate to high levels of burnout were associated with poor patient safety outcomes.12<\/sup><\/p>\n

Keeping nurses safe keeps them at work<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nurse retention and healthcare worker safety work hand-in-hand: to retain nurses, you must keep them safe.<\/p>\n

There are a number of safety steps that you can take to help protect nurses from on-the-job hazards:<\/p>\n