A third of nurses report witnessing patients die due to staff shortages, new global survey finds

A recent worldwide survey underscores the significant strain that healthcare systems are under due to staff shortages.

One in three nurses reported deaths of patients in their care attributed to understaffing. Over half of those surveyed considered leaving their profession, voicing deep concerns about their national healthcare situations.

Conducted three years post the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study of 2,000 healthcare professionals globally sheds light on the increasing pressures faced by the healthcare sector. Amid the pandemic, many healthcare facilities found it challenging to cope with patient demands. Concurrently, many professionals are leaving their roles, citing poor compensation and overwork.

This Thursday saw health workers rally in Geneva at the United Nations headquarters to emphasize the staffing crisis. Public Services International (PSI), a union representing a vast majority of healthcare workers in 154 countries, released the survey.

A disturbing finding from PSI's survey revealed that over two-thirds of healthcare workers witnessed patients experiencing unnecessary pain or complications due to staff inadequacies.

Daniel Bertossa of PSI stated, "Many leaders blame the pandemic, but COVID has only exacerbated an existing shortage." He further highlighted, "COVID has exposed the underfunding, but it hasn't caused it. The real problem is decades of underfunding, lots of privatisation, and austerity which have made working in the sector increasingly hard."

Bill Muriuki, a Kenyan doctor, shared his personal experience: "I was the only doctor in the casualty and emergency department of the biggest facility in the region. Critically ill patients would often have to wait for me to return to work, sometimes for hours." Muriuki also mentioned facing supply shortages during critical times and reflected, "I have also seriously considered quitting my job time after time often after feeling that I was really not able to do enough for my patients."

The survey also highlighted a preference among respondents for public over private investment in the healthcare sector. Bertossa urged governments to prioritize healthcare, stating, "We need our governments to start putting the interests of our frontline workers and the users of our healthcare services ahead of the billionaires and the corporations."

While Europe grapples with its own shortage of doctors, particularly as many retire, Natasha Assopardi-Muscat of the WHO's European office highlighted a "huge health workforce crisis and shortage" considering demographic shifts.

With health workers across Europe protesting poor working conditions, Bertossa finds it alarming that underfunding is resulting in patient fatalities. He commented on the dire consequences for both families and health workers, emphasizing the need to support healthcare professionals in their mission to provide care.