Study Finds Correlation Between Nurse Understaffing, Sick Calls

• A new study out of the United Kingdom has found a correlation between nurse understaffing and the frequency of sick calls among staff. 
• The study also revealed that “adverse working conditions” could be risky and exacerbate existing workforce shortages. 
• Findings from the study are supported by the 2024 National Workforce Study produced by NCSBN. 

Ensuring that a hospital has a robust nursing staff can help with nurses’ physical health. 

An original investigation published in April in JAMA Network Open found that “RN understaffing increased the risk of sickness absence in nursing teams.” The study out of the United Kingdom is believed to be the first to look at the relationship between staffing and sick calls, according to the authors. 

Lead investigator Dr. Chiara Dall’ora said in a University of Southampton news release the findings are significant because “stress-related sickness and burnout” lead to nurses exiting the profession.  

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study found that more than 138,000 nurses have left the workforce since 2022. Stress, burnout, and retirement remained the same reasons for leaving in 2024 as in 2022. 

Key Findings Related to Nurse Understaffing 

Study results indicate that the odds of absences by full-time RNs due to illness increased alongside understaffing, but “working part time reverses the association between RN understaffing and sickness absence.” 

Peter Griffiths, the study’s co-author, said in a news release that increasing RN staffing levels “has been associated with improved outcomes for patients” and could a cost-effective method to improve patient care. 

“Our study adds to this body of evidence by shining a light on the additional impact on nurses’ health and wellbeing,” Griffiths said. 

Key findings from the study include: 

• RNs working alongside nurses of varying skill levels, but more RNs, were less likely to call in sick. 
• RNs who worked longer shifts were more likely to call in sick. 

The authors stated that “given the considerable costs associated with sickness absence, investing in RNs has the potential to reduce the pressure on an already exhausted workforce and health system.” 

While the authors contend that the “absolute effects” of increasing the mixture of skillsets among nurses and reducing understaffing could seem minimal, “in a climate where achieving staffing targets remains challenging with serious consequences for patient safety, even small improvements in working conditions are likely to lead to improved productivity and reduced turnover.” 

Exacerbating Workforce Shortages

The study also determined that “adverse working conditions” might create risks for RNs and could exacerbate existing workforce shortages. 

More than 50% of RNs (9%) and LPN/VNs (41.3%) who participated in the 2024 NCBSN survey said they planned to leave nursing or retire within five years. Their reasons other than retirement included stress, burnout, workload, understaffing, and low salary. 

NCSBN Chief Executive Officer Phil Dickison said in a news release that the COVID-19 pandemic can longer be an excuse for why nurses are leaving the industry. 

“While we have seen some improvements, staffing challenges, stress and burnout, and workforce safety are issues that have permeated the nursing industry before, during and after the pandemic and are still challenges,” he stated. “… We can infer that while hospitals continue to prioritize investments in mental health and other support services for nurses since the pandemic, structural issues that predated the pandemic remain.”

A separate survey — this one conducted by Cross Country Healthcare and Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing — produced similar results. Drawing from 2,600 respondents covering RNs, LPNs, APRNs, and nursing students, it found that 65% of nurses reported high levels of stress and burnout. 

Top stressors included short staffing, inadequate pay, lack of leadership support, and patient abuse. 

The Bottom Line

A new study out of the United Kingdom found a correlation between low RN staffing and a higher volume of sick calls from nursing staff. The authors believe that increasing staffing will help with nurses’ overall physical health and, ultimately, the viability of the profession as a whole. 

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