According to a new report published in the Mail Online on 2 July 2019, a recent study of more than 1,000 nurses in the US found that the incidence of nursing negligence and medical errors has increased in recent years. The study indicated that this is largely due to exhausted nurses and nurse burnout. 

Statistical analysis of the study’s results revealed the following:

Nurse burnout is a physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion experienced by nurses which negatively affects patient outcomes and leads to job dissatisfaction. The number of nursing negligence lawsuits has increased due to nurse burnout, which is largely caused by organizational factors.

Nursing negligence is an unfortunate and often unavoidable consequence of nurse burnout. Stress, long working hours, infrequent breaks, and rotating shifts slow down reaction times, increases errors, and reduces motivation. All of these factors affect patient care.