NURSES in Scotland are "drowning in a sea of paperwork" which is preventing them from caring for patients, it has been claimed
A new survey, carried out by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland, found that nurses are spending around 279,000 hours a week in Scotland on non-essential paperwork and clerical tasks.
Nearly nine out of 10 of those who were quizzed in the study said the amount of non-essential paperwork such as filing, photocopying and ordering supplies had increased in the last two years. Just over half (56%) thought it had increased "dramatically".
The survey also found 86% believed having to complete non-essential paperwork prevented them from providing direct patient care.
Theresa Fyffe, director of RCN Scotland, said: "Some paperwork is essential and nurses have to complete it for patient safety and quality assurance purposes. However, patients expect nurses to be caring for them, not ticking boxes."
She said that Scottish health secretary Alex Neil had recognised the burden of paperwork on senior charge nurses and how it can affect their ability to oversee patient care.
She added: "This is a step in the right direction and we hope that his actions will suit his words and he will make sure paperwork does not get in the way of senior charge nurses being able to do their job effectively."
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