Nursing Care Deficits in German Hospitals - Results of a Nationwide Survey of Supervisory Staff in Hospital.

Introduction: Currently, almost every second hospital is in financial deficit. Because of financial restrictions in the nursing profession, the staff has not been adequately adjusted to the increasing case volume. Current studies emphasize the rising workload of nursing staff and the resulting deficits in patient care. The aim of this study was to research whether the supervisory staff (nursing directors, chief physicians and hospital managers) also perceives these problems. Method: First, semi-structured interviews with chief physicians, nursing directors, hospital managers and hospital owners were conducted. Based on these qualitative insights, occupational group-specific questionnaires were developed. In spring 2014, these were sent to almost 5 000 supervisors.
Results: There was a response rate of 43%. All respondents confirmed considerable economic restrictions related to the patient care - the greatest deficits were perceived concerning nursing care and personal attention given to patients. Moreover, the nursing directors were of the opinion that the nursing staff did not have enough time to perform all the necessary services. In particular, inadequate staffing was seen to be the cause of the rationing of nursing services. However, not only financial constraints but also a shortage of skilled staff increased the likelihood of withholding nursing services.
Conclusion: In sum, all supervisory groups perceived large deficits in nursing care. With the current staff levels, nursing directors can hardly ensure provision of all necessary nursing services. The nurse support program will improve this situation slightly. In the medium term, the implementation of other instruments is necessary. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.