Most Common Negative Effects of Short Staffing in Nursing (For Nurses & Organizations)
Written By: Darby Faubion, RN, BSN, MBA
If you are a nurse, chances are you or your nursing peers have been impacted by short staffing. There are many things that lead to healthcare organizations being short-staffed, and the effects can be quite serious. It is important to know not only the causes of short staffing but also the effects it can have. Maybe you wonder, “What are the most common effects of short staffing in nursing?”
As you continue reading, you will find that I share the 10 most common negative effects of short staffing in nursing for nurses and organizations. While we may not be able to completely avoid short staffing, knowing the effects it can have on nurses and organizations can help us identify problems and try to handle them before they get out of hand.
What are the Most Common Effects of Short Staffing in Nursing for Nurses?
(The following are the 5 most common negative effects of short staffing in nursing for nurses.)
NEGATIVE EFFECT #1: Nurse Burnout
The most common negative effect of short staffing in nursing is
nurse burnout. Nurse burnout is a serious condition that can impact not only nurses but patients and teams as well. Being short-staffed leads to increased workload, higher stress levels, and reduced time for rest and recovery for nurses, which are some of the main causes of burnout. Nurses experiencing burnout may act cynical about their jobs, seem mentally distant from patients and peers, demonstrate poor job performance, and be physically and mentally exhausted.
Having worked in both clinical and administrative roles in nursing, I understand the seriousness of burnout. One thing I suggest to help reduce your risk of burnout is to be self-aware. Know your limits as far as how much work you can safely take on and when you need time off. Also, if you begin to feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or tired, reach out to your manager or supervisor. The best nurses understand the importance of taking care of themselves. Our ability to do that is what makes us capable of caring for others.
NEGATIVE EFFECT #2: Decreased Quality of Care
Unless you have worked somewhere that is short-staffed, it may be hard to understand how it could lead to issues with the quality of care. I worked for a hospice agency several years ago that went through several changes in management within a short period. At one point, several nurses were laid off from their jobs, followed by another group of nurses quitting. Being short-staffed meant each nurse was responsible for the care of more patients, which meant less one-on-one time with patients, leading to the quality of care being compromised. Thankfully, a new company took over the hospice and hired additional staff to accommodate the number of patients, which meant we were able to provide the kind of quality care we needed, the type of care our patients deserved.
NEGATIVE EFFECT #3: Increased Workload
One of the most obvious negative effects of short staffing in nursing is increased workload. When short staffing occurs, the nurses who are at work must take on increased responsibilities to accommodate. Increased workload often means insufficient time to complete tasks on time or efficiently, which could have negative consequences for patients, nurses, and organizations.
Being a nurse in a clinical setting can be stressful, and when your workload increases, it only makes matters worse. I remember working in a nursing home that experienced a big nurse turnover within just a few months. Until new nurses were hired and trained, those of us who were already employed took extra shifts and worked overtime. Although the paycheck was nice, the increased workload got old rather quickly!
NEGATIVE EFFECT #4: Health Problems
Another unfortunate result of short staffing in nursing is that the toll of the job can lead to negative health outcomes for nurses. Working longer hours to cover shifts can cause emotional, mental, and physical strain. When nurses begin to experience health problems due to being overworked, that can lead to missed work, which means even fewer nurses working an already short-staffed shift. Any one or a combination of all of these can be devastating to nurses, patients, and the organizations for which they work.
I know all too well what it is like to work until you become physically or mentally drained. Being short-staffed puts everyone in a tough situation, but it is important to remember that if you do not care for yourself, you will never be any good to your patients.
Practice self-care by getting plenty of rest and sleep, eating a well-balanced diet, and exercising. Also, if you begin to feel run down, pay attention to what your mind and body are saying and take a break!
NEGATIVE EFFECT #5: Strained Personal Relationships
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people say that we should separate work and our personal lives. To an extent, I agree. However, it is sometimes hard to separate the two when you are overworked, tired, and frustrated.
For a time, I worked as a bereavement counselor for a hospice agency. I absolutely LOVED my job and my clients, but dealing with terminal illnesses every day and seeing people die became a heavy load. When our facility became short-staffed, I not only made bereavement calls but also took on more nurse visits. I was tired, stressed, and overwhelmed. It did not take long for me to realize that I was projecting a lot of negative emotion and energy toward my family. While we all want to lend a hand, when possible, it is crucial to know the limits of what you can handle before you let work (or anything else) cause undue stress in your family life or personal relationships.
What are the Most Common Effects of Short Staffing in Nursing for Organizations?
(The following are the 5 most common negative effects of short staffing in nursing for organizations.)
NEGATIVE EFFECT #1: Decreased Patient Satisfaction
When healthcare facilities are short-staffed with nurses, it leaves the remaining nurses overworked, which often results in difficulty in providing the same level of high-quality patient care. As a result, patients become dissatisfied with service. Depending on how severe the shortage is and the impact it has on patient care quality, it could lead to patients seeking healthcare services at different facilities. If patients seek healthcare services from other facilities or providers, it can have a ripple effect, resulting in reduced work hours or layoffs to make up for the facility's lost income.
NEGATIVE EFFECT #2: Lost Revenue
A serious negative effect of short staffing in nursing for organizations is that many of them experience lost revenue. When facilities are understaffed, existing nurses must work overtime to cover shifts, which results in overtime pay. If the shortage is serious enough and there are not enough nurses to safely cover shifts, the organization may need temporary staffing through a staffing agency, which usually comes at a higher cost than normal nurse salaries. Finally, Medicare and other payers often tie reimbursement to patient satisfaction scores, which we already established is a negative consequence of short staffing in nursing.
NEGATIVE EFFECT #3: Tarnished Organization Reputation
One of the best ways to attract new clients in any industry is to offer high-quality service, and that is true in the healthcare industry. One of the negative effects of short staffing in nursing is that everything that happens because of it can tarnish an organization’s reputation.
For instance, a friend of mine worked in a hospital in a nearby town that had once been one of the top hospitals in the region. At some point, it was discovered that money had been mishandled, and part of the administration's solution was to lay off staff. Unfortunately, the plan backfired in several ways. First, because of staff downsizing, there were fewer nurses to care for patients, which led to a decreased quality of care. Several nurses quit their jobs. As you can imagine, what we often refer to as a "snowball effect" occurred. As the number of nursing staff and quality of care decreased, patient dissatisfaction increased. It took only a short time for the hospital to become the focus of lots of negative local news and social media coverage, which only made matters worse. The hospital eventually sold to an out-of-state corporation and remains open today. However, it took a long time to overcome the damage to its reputation.
NEGATIVE EFFECT #4: Loss of Additional Staff
At some point, even the most dedicated nurses grow weary of working without adequate help. When nurses work short-staffed for too long, especially without clear expectations of when the situation may be resolved, it is common for them to look for jobs elsewhere. This additional decrease in an organization's nursing staff only compounds other negative effects, making it necessary to pull resources to recruit and hire new nurses. Further, until the staff shortage is resolved, the organization faces the chance of having current nurses experiencing burnout, the organization receiving bad reviews, and an increased risk of injuries and errors.
NEGATIVE EFFECT #5: Risk of Legal Issues
Another one of the serious negative effects of short staffing in nursing is the risk of facing legal action. When healthcare organizations are short-staffed, the risk to patient and employee safety and well-being increases. If patients receive inadequate care or experience harm, or if employees are injured trying to do their jobs, the organization faces the risk of being sued. Legal costs and settlement amounts can be quite substantial depending on the severity of harm.
My Final Thoughts
Staff shortages are nothing new in nursing, and according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing,
nursing shortages may become more critical. Whether you work in a small office or for a large health corporation, not having enough nurses can cause problems. It is important to ask, “What are the most common effects of short staffing in nursing?” Then, we must work together to find ways to reduce the long-term negative effects.
In this article, you learned about the 10 most common negative effects of short staffing in nursing for nurses and organizations. While all nurse shortages are not preventable, the way we respond to them can make a difference for individual nurses, nursing teams, and healthcare organizations.
List Of Sources Used For This Article
1.
“What Is Nurse Burnout? How to Prevent It” (
American Nurses Association)
2.
“Self-Care for Nurses- 25 Proven Strategies to Take Better Care of Yourself” (
nursingprocess.org)
3.
“NCSBN Research Projects Significant Nursing Workforce Shortages and Crisis” (
NCSBN.org)
Darby Faubion, RN, BSN, MBA
Darby Faubion is a nurse and allied health instructor with over 20 years of clinical experience. Her work history includes clinical experience in pediatrics, mental health, addiction and behavioral disorders, geriatrics, wound management, and communicable disease. Darby has worked in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home health and hospice agencies. Darby also has experience as a nursing and allied health educator at both community college and university levels. Her love for nursing and nursing education led to her becoming a test-taking strategist and NCLEX prep coach.