The right mix of staff is as important as the right number
As new roles are established to fill nursing shortages, how do we ensure we have the right nursing skill mix on each shift to maintain high standards of care and prevent burnout of qualified staff?
Arriving on my ward for an early shift, I went to speak to the night staff to find out how the shift had gone. The nurse in charge commented that she was worn out as there had not been enough qualified staff on duty.
On paper, with the number of patients who had been discharged the previous week or who were on weekend leave, the staffing numbers should have been sufficient.
When I mentioned this to her and she said: “It’s not the number of staff but the skill mix”….. (Readmore)