The night in German care homes
Project overview
The situation during night shifts in the nursing professions has so far only been the subject of a small number of research projects, and the existing international studies focus mainly on night shifts in hospitals. Data on the situation during night shifts in German nursing homes is not yet available.
The aim of the project was therefore to gain initial insights into the situation of night staff in German care homes in order to make an independent contribution to the discussion. For example, the average number of residents to be cared for, which activities typically have to be carried out or omitted, what stressful but also positive factors night duty has to offer and what potential for improvement the carers see for the night shift.
A standardised, descriptive cross-sectional survey study with an opportunity sample was conducted for this purpose. This was based on a limited, standardised, anonymous survey of people working night shifts in nursing homes using an online questionnaire.
Further information
- Duration: 2015
- Funding: The study was funded by Pflege e. V.
- Responsible: School of Nursing Science
Results and conclusion
276 people were included in the study. People who work on night duty are responsible for an average of 51.6 residents, and they care for 40.3 residents per night. Of these, an average of 27.1 residents suffer from some form of dementia.
Night staff have to reckon with one incident per shift, and on average every second shift, individual residents cannot be cared for. They particularly have to look after people who wander (often/very often up to 60%). A quarter of those surveyed are rarely or never able to take breaks. Night-time activities related to personal hygiene have decreased significantly (5.8%), but the provision of incontinence aids is the top priority at 100%.
Around half of the respondents cite a lack of time and too few staff as the leading stress factors on duty. They also fear that residents could fall at night and not be found immediately. As positive aspects, the respondents cite the opportunity to make decisions on their own and organise their own time, as well as the close contact with residents.
Conclusion: The results clearly show problematic framework conditions in terms of staffing ratios during the nights in German care homes. It regularly happens that tasks that need to be carried out during the night cannot be completed in full due to a lack of time and staff. Incidents that occur can significantly exacerbate this situation due to the low staffing ratios.
Publications
- große Schlarmann, J.; Bienstein, C. (2015): "Nachts in deutschen Pflegeheimen", Die Schwester Der Pfleger, 54(11):22-27