The Effects of Organizational Characteristics, Individual Nurse Characteristics, and Occupational Fatigue on Missed Care at Night.

BACKGROUND: Missed care is defined as the omission or delay of necessary patient care and is internationally reported by nurses as a significant safety risk. Nurses working at night also report high levels of occupational fatigue that, coupled with inadequate staffing and practice environment support, may impede a nurse's ability to carry out the nursing process and lead to more missed care. OBJECTIVE: The study's objective was to examine the interrelationships among organizational and nurse characteristics, occupational fatigue, and missed care among nurses working at night. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used. Participants included registered nurses (RNs) who worked at night in New Jersey acute care hospitals. Multiple linear regression and simple moderation analyses were performed to examine the associations. RESULTS: Nurses reported missing necessary care at night. Unsupportive practice environments, high RN workloads, high patient-RN ratios, high chronic fatigue levels, and low intershift recovery were individually associated with missed care at night. High patient-to-RN ratios and chronic fatigue were independently associated with missed care. However, patient-to-registered-staffing levels had the most considerable effect on missed care at night. Nurses' years of experience and the number of hours of sleep between shifts were significant moderators of the relationship between occupational fatigue states and missed care. DISCUSSION: This study is the first to examine the interrelationship between occupational fatigue levels, organizational and nurse characteristics, and missed care at night. There is an urgent need to implement strategies in hospital organizations that foster work schedules and adequate staffing patterns that lessen nurses' occupational fatigue levels to ensure our workforce's and patients' safety.

Burnout and intent to leave during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study of New Jersey hospital nurses.

AIM: The aim of this work is to examine staffing, personal protective equipment (PPE) adequacy and physical exhaustion that contributed to burnout and intent to leave among hospital nurses during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. BACKGROUND: Burnout is associated with adverse nurse and patient outcomes. Identifying the magnitude of burnout that occurred during the pandemic can prepare managers for the long-term mental health effects on nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional, electronic survey was administered to examine perceptions of burnout and intent to leave among all New Jersey hospital nurses from October 6 to October 26, 2020. RESULTS: A total of 3030 nurses responded with 64.3% reporting burnout and 36.5% reporting intent to leave the hospital within a year. There was a significant association between high levels of burnout and intent to leave (χ2  = 329.4; p = .001). There was no association between staffing and burnout; however, reporting inadequate PPE (OR = 1.77 [95% CI: 1.34-2.34]) and physical exhaustion (OR = 3.89 [95% CI: 3.19-4.76]) remained predictors of burnout among nurses. CONCLUSION: Inadequate PPE and physical exhaustion coupled with short staffing contributed to burnout and intent to leave. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Managers should continue to utilize evidence-based mental health interventions and advocate within their nursing professional organizations for relief funds to reduce burnout.

Racial and ethnic differences in vaccine hesitancy Among registered nurses in New Jersey: A cross-sectional survey.

Nurses play an important role in the vaccine readiness process and high vaccination rates among nurses are essential to ensuring successful vaccination programs. This study sought to examine whether the intention to get vaccinated varied by race and/or ethnicity among a large sample of registered nurses in New Jersey.

Taking on an administrative supervisor role.

Administrative supervisors serve as nurse leaders during the evenings, nights, and weekends. This article discusses the role and offers insight for nurses interested in exploring this career opportunity.