• News
  • Clinical
  • Professional
  • Students
  • Opinion
  • COVID-19
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home News Workforce

Stressed, overworked nurses are missing meals to pay bills

Shocking almost 2 out of every 5 nurses admitted to missing meals to feed their families or save money.

Share  
Tweet  
by Matt Bodell
17/12/2020
stressed nurse

Dean Mitchell

Nurses also said they felt undervalued by the government and their managers.

A joint survey of nursing staff across the UK undertaken by NursingNotes and Nurses United UK reveals a worsening crisis within the healthcare workforce.

While the majority of nurses (77%) admitted to enjoying their work, a third were likely to leave within the next 12 months because of a poor work-life balance (15%) and poor mental health (11%).

The survey highlights that when more than half of all nurses are working overtime (64%) or using a credit (57%) to pay for essential bills, in the midst of a global pandemic, something is going seriously wrong.

Shocking almost 2 out of every 5 nurses admitted to missing meals to feed their families or save money (39%). Nurses themselves agree with the majority (88%) saying they feel valued by their patients but undervalued by this Government and their employers (62%).

Clap for carers.

Nurses also agreed that the solutions were for this Government to do more than clap for carers but to care for them with a pay rise (99%), interventions to reduce stress (21%), and an improved work-life balance (20%).

The pressures on the workforce have been reflected in the strength of feeling about the actions that they would take to achieve a pay rise. Of the nurses within unions, the majority supported a pay rise of 15% or more (61%) and would take industrial action up to and including the withdrawal of non-critical patient care to achieve this (55%).

Patient care has also been put at risk with the majority of nurses saying that their workplace is frequently below safe staffing levels (66%) and put’s patient care at risk (77%).

The results of the survey also show that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) nursing staff are disproportionately affected by the issues above with the majority of BAME nurses reporting they have experienced racism (62%) and discrimination (63%), verbal assault (83%) and worryingly, bullying by their colleagues (60%) within the past year.

Shocking.

Anthony Johnson, Lead Organiser for Nurses United UK, said; “No matter who we are or what we look like we all want the same thing. We all want to be valued, cared for and kept safe.

“This survey from NursingNotes and Nurses United shows that for many patients and nurses that is not happening. Frontline nurses like myself are struggling to get through this with our mental health intact, we’re going to foodbanks, borrowing money from friends and missing meals all to try to get by.

Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, added: “The findings of this survey are shocking and reflect what our members are telling us.

“Nursing staff are working in harsh conditions right now and feel unfairly rewarded for it. A third are considering leaving the profession now, with many citing low pay as a factor. Politicians have relied on the goodwill of nursing staff for far too long and this has continued, inexcusably, during the pandemic.

ADVERTISEMENT

POPULAR

Already exhausted nursing staff begged to work more overtime as hospitals reach crisis point

30/12/2020

Pfizer doses should be six weeks apart not twelve, say doctors

25/01/2021

Scotland confirms it has no plans to deploy student nurses on paid clinical placements

17/01/2021

RCN tells the PM to be ‘more accurate’ when discussing nurses’ pay

06/01/2021

Medical students demand an end to ‘compulsory’ placements covering ‘menial’ nursing duties

21/01/2021
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT


the Handover

Nursing news and clinical updates direct to your inbox.



Your data is held in accordence with our Privacy Policy.

Related Posts

Workforce

NHS staff want ‘respite’ and ‘reinforcements’ more than a pay rise, claims NHS chief

27/01/2021
Workforce

Public overwhelmingly support a 10% pay rise for nursing staff, finds poll

26/01/2021
News

RCN election policy needs to be modernised, finds report

26/01/2021
News

Over 850 health and social care workers have now died of COVID-19

25/01/2021
Workforce

Pfizer doses should be six weeks apart not twelve, say doctors

25/01/2021
Workforce

RCN demands answers over PPE ‘postcode lottery’

23/01/2021
News

RCN sets new September date for face-to-face or virtual Congress

22/01/2021
Workforce

Medical students demand an end to ‘compulsory’ placements covering ‘menial’ nursing duties

21/01/2021
NursingNotes

NursingNotes has been created for nurses by nurses.

Follow Us

Top Categories

  • Clinical
  • Education
  • Health Politics
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Professional
  • Research
  • Resources
  • Sponsored
  • Workforce

Recent Posts

  • NHS staff want ‘respite’ and ‘reinforcements’ more than a pay rise, claims NHS chief
  • Public overwhelmingly support a 10% pay rise for nursing staff, finds poll
  • RCN election policy needs to be modernised, finds report
  • Over 850 health and social care workers have now died of COVID-19
  • Agenda for Change NHS Pay Bands
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • About us
  • Contact us

© 2019 NursingNotes.co.uk

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Clinical
  • Professional
  • Students
  • Opinion
  • COVID-19

© 2019 NursingNotes.co.uk

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.