A cross-sectional observational study of missed nursing care in hospitals in China

Aim To identify the risk of missed nursing care (MNC), and contributing factors, in Chinese hospitals. Background National reporting of adverse incidents diminishes errors of commission. To further improve service quality and patient safety, MNC should be reduced. Methods An online survey comprising the MISSCARE Survey and the McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale was conducted with a convenience sample of nurses (n = 6,158) in 34 Chinese hospitals. Results Participants' mean age was 30.6 (SD = 7.014), and 2.5% were male. The most frequently missed nursing care items were basic care (12.7%-51.8%). The most frequently reported reasons were human resource issues (63.1%-88.2%). Being female, no child, better educated, a manager, permanently employed, no night shift, inadequate friend support and job dissatisfaction influenced the perception of MNC (odds ratio 1.00-4.848). Conclusions MNC often occurred in basic care involving informal caregivers or in surge status due to a sudden increase in workload. Implications for Nursing Management Nurse managers should prioritize effective measures that target delegation competency and mobilization of nurses for flexible repositioning during need.