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Almost nine out of 10 nurses come into work sick, according to research which reveals the intense pressures facing staff in NHS.
Last year, 85% of nurses still showed up for a shift at least once, despite having problems such as stress, back pain, a cold, anxiety or depression.
Almost half (46%) have done so between two and five times and almost one in five (19%) have done so more than five times, according to a Royal College of Nursing (RCN) survey of more than 11,000 members across the UK.
The number of nurses working on sick leave is also growing. Last year, 85% did so, up from 77% in 2021.
Nurses feel driven to work while sick to help fill gaps in rotations and ensure patients receive the best possible care, the RCN said.
Pat Cullen, general secretary and chief executive of the union, said: “In a desperate bid to keep services together, more and more medical staff are coming in to work while sick. They sacrifice their own well-being to care for patients.
“These dedicated professionals should not have to sacrifice their health and wellbeing to maintain neglected services. But this is the day-to-day reality, and the patients are the ones who ultimately suffer.
“The stress and anxiety of trying to meet patients’ needs forces them to work while they are sick.”
The RCN’s biennial survey of the state of the nursing profession also paints a picture of a workforce that is unhappy, overworked, downtrodden and increasingly disillusioned with pay. It was found that:
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Seventy-one percent feel they are under too much pressure at work.
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Sixty-six percent say they are too busy to provide patients with the ideal level of care.
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Forty-five percent plan to leave or are considering doing so.
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Only two in five would recommend nursing as a career – and 21% regret becoming a nurse.
The NHS in England alone is short of 34,709 nurses, latest vacancy figures show.
Paying turned out to be the biggest disappointment. Almost nine in 10 (88%) say a pay rise would make the most difference to them, ahead of more flexible working hours (30%), more holidays (30%) and shorter working hours (25% ).
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Many nurses are caught up in financial problems. Some are giving up their pension scheme to free up money to help them tackle the cost of living crisis, while not being able to make ends meet is leaving 70% of nurses anxious or sleep-deprived, the RCN has found.
One department of Hello and a Social Care spokesperson said: “We value the work of NHS nurses enormously and remain committed to supporting the career development and wellbeing of all NHS staff.
“The latest NHS staff survey showed improvements in staff morale and experience, and the rate of nursing vacancies in NHS trusts is the lowest since records began in 2017.
“In addition, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan – supported by over £2.4 billion of Government funding – will increase the number of nurses by up to 190,000 by 2036/37.”
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