A study conducted at the University of Southampton has uncovered a significant rise in patient incidents within mental health and community hospital wards when the majority of shifts on a ward-day extend to 12 hours or longer.
This pioneering research demonstrated that as the proportion of nursing staff on a ward working shifts lasting 12 hours or more exceeded 70% daily, there was a substantial increase in incidents of self-harm, threatening behavior, and violence directed towards staff on the same day.
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration Wessex (NIHR ARC Wessex), which focuses on research related to Workforce and Health Systems. The findings have been published in the Journal of Nursing Management.
The research analyzed records from mental health and community hospitals in Hampshire, marking the first such study in England. Incident data recorded by two NHS trusts was matched with the shift patterns of nursing staff over a three-year period.
Dr. Chiara Dall’Ora, an Associate Professor in Health Workforce at the University of Southampton and the study’s lead author, commented, “The consequences of patient incidents such as self-injury and disruptive behavior are serious, and the use of high proportions of long shifts is associated with higher risk rates of such incidents in mental health and community hospitals.”
Dr. Dall’Ora cautioned against the implementation of 12-hour plus shifts as a universal solution for all nursing staff, suggesting that nurse managers and those responsible for scheduling nursing staff should consider other options.
This study builds upon previous research by Dr. Dall’Ora, who investigated the impact of longer nursing shifts and staff burnout in NHS hospital settings. In a previous publication, she found that limited choices regarding working hours, understaffing, and a lack of breaks contributed to nursing staff exhaustion and burnout.
The work of Dr. Dall’Ora, Dr. Zoé Ejebu, and Professor Peter Griffiths from the University of Southampton is part of an effort to enhance patient care safety and improve working conditions for nursing staff in the NHS.
Professor Peter Griffiths recently published a study examining recommended NHS staffing levels and patient safety, resulting in changes to staffing advice by NHS England. The ongoing research aims to determine the optimal ways for staff to work, taking into account factors such as location and timing, while also striving to improve working conditions to ensure that staff have sufficient time to fulfill their responsibilities effectively.
