Rationed nursing care – conclusions from focus groups

Aim. The focus groups aimed to outline the main areas of missed care and identify how the causes, effects and potential solution proposals are perceived.

Methods. For the initial part of the research, the focus group method was selected. Three focus groups were organized which comprised 25 nurses working in inpatient wards of healthcare facilities in the Moravian-Silesian Region.

Results. Based on the content analysis, four main categories were established: causes and consequences of missed care, missed interventions and suggestions for potential solutions. These were further divided into subcategories. The causes of missed care were related to the nurse’s personality, patient’s personality, healthcare system and management system. Missed interventions were classified into basic nursing care interventions, specialized interventions to be performed by nurses and common activities. The consequences of missed care affect both patients and the staff. The suggestions for potential solution included changes in management and marketing, education of healthcare professionals and patient care.

Conclusions. With respect to care rationing, the quality of care provided must not be compromised to a point where the safety of the staff and patients is at risk. Discussing these issues openly may result in search for other potential solutions that may be implemented in practice.