Longer Nursing Home Shifts, the Greater Risk of Mistakes
Nurses in Kentucky nursing homes are working some of the longest shifts in the country, according to recent research. The longer nurses work, the more likely care will suffer, mistakes will be made, and residents will be harmed because management is not filling necessary jobs. If a loved one is injured because of nursing home negligence, Satterley & Kelley, PLLC can help your loved one get the compensation they deserve.
A quarter of US nursing homes report “critical” staff shortages while there’s a growing demand from a rapidly aging population for nursing home and assisted living care, reports the Shelbyville Times-Gazette. This according to research by Vivian Health, which looked at payroll data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The information shows that nurses at Kentucky nursing homes, especially those in more rural areas, worked, on average, some of the longest shifts in the nursing home industry in the first three months of 2024.
A Growing Number of Elderly Americans While Nursing Home Staff Shrinks
The country’s nursing home workforce has shrunk while the need for long-term care increases. There were 8.4% fewer residential and nursing home care workers in January 2023 in the US compared to the same time in 2020. The reasons include the following:
- Burnout
- Occupational hazards
- Long shifts
- Workplace violence
- Low pay
- High workloads
In 2019, half of nurses surveyed reported working overtime, and about 10% stated they had a second job. Nurses commonly work 12 hour shifts plus voluntary or mandatory overtime. Many nurses working in nursing homes leave for better-paying, less stressful work in other healthcare areas.
Kentucky is in the Top Five States for Longest Nursing Shifts
Information from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shows nurses working in Alaska, Utah, Nevada, Montana, and Kentucky, on average, have the longest shifts in the US.
Alaskan nurses work an average of 11.9 hours per shift. There are more than 1,500 reported registered nurse vacancies in the state. That’s expected to exceed 5,000 by 2030. There were about 3,000 open jobs in Kentucky’s nursing homes during winter 2022, reports WKYT.
Not only are residents getting older and reaching retirement age, but nurses are, too. Nurses in Utah nursing homes work an average of 11.77 hours per shift. About 20% of nurses in the state are approaching retirement age.
States with large rural areas, like Kentucky, Nevada, and Montana, have significant challenges because there’s an uneven distribution of workers. There are fewer nursing home job vacancies in urban and suburban areas and greater needs in rural areas.
Longer Shifts, Worse Care
Long work shifts and staffing shortages are bad for employees and lower patient quality of care. Nurses working longer shifts may be more tired, which can cause errors that impact patient safety and health. Staff shortages are also associated with higher patient mortality rates.
Thirteen years ago, the Joint Commission issued a warning to the healthcare industry about the dangers patients and nursing home residents face when nurses work long hours:
“The link between health care worker fatigue and adverse events is well
documented, with a substantial number of studies indicating that the practice of
extended work hours contributes to high levels of worker fatigue and reduced
productivity. These studies and others show that fatigue increases the risk of
adverse events, compromises patient safety, and increases risk to personal safety and well-being… longer shift length increased the risk of errors and close calls and were associated with decreased vigilance, and that nurses suffer higher rates of occupational injury when working shifts in excess of 12 hours. Still, while the dangers of extended work hours (more than 12 hours) are well known, the health care industry has been slow to adopt changes, particularly with regard to nursing.”
Although short staffing has long been a problem, nursing home management has failed to effectively resolve it. After many years of finger-pointing and shrugged shoulders, there’s more federal regulation to try to force the nursing home industry to change.
In April, the Biden administration issued new staffing requirements for nursing homes to address worker schedules and staff shortages. Most nursing homes can’t meet the new standards, but deadlines vary from 90 days to three years from the announcement. Several parties, including Kentucky’s attorney general, are challenging these new rules in federal court.
Speak To a Kentucky Nursing Home Injury Attorney Today
Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers will fight for your loved one to obtain the respectful care they need and compensation for injuries they deserve. To contact our Louisville office and set up a free initial consultation with an experienced nursing home attorney, call toll-free at 855-385-9532 or contact us online.