Missed Nursing Care in Danish Hospitals: A National Survey

BACKGROUND: Missed Nursing Care is a global health problem with adverse consequences for patients, nurses and healthcare systems. It occurs when the necessary nursing care is not provided, is only partially provided or is delayed. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, types and reasons for Missed Nursing Care in Danish hospitals on a national scale.

METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, the Danish version of the MISSCARE survey was used to collect data from nursing staff.

RESULTS: A total of 3507 nursing staff from 35 regional and university hospitals participated. Nursing staff reported that 44% of nursing care elements were always, frequently or occasionally missed, ranging between 32% and 53% across hospitals. The most frequent missed nursing care elements included ambulation, turning patients, documentation, mouth care, participation in interdisciplinary care meetings, emotional support and patient teaching. The main reasons for Missed Nursing Care were inadequate staffing, unexpected increases in patient volume and acuity, urgent patient situations and high admission and discharge activity.

CONCLUSION: Missed Nursing Care is a prevalent problem in Danish hospitals, with nearly half of the necessary nursing care elements being missed. However, variations between hospitals exist. Fundamental physical and emotional nursing care elements were often missed, while nursing care to prevent critical situations was prioritised. The main reason for Missed Nursing Care was an imbalance between nursing resources, patient volume and acuity. Targeted interventions are needed to address Missed Nursing Care to improve the quality of nursing care and ultimately achieve better outcomes for patients and nursing staff.