When asked to indicate which issues have a negative impact on the quality of their work experience, more than 400 nurses attending the conference ranked inadequate staffing as their number one concern. Not only are there not enough nurses to do what needs to be done on any given shift, but also the nurses who are on duty are fatigued and stressed. Nurses complain that the paperwork burden diminishes time available to spend on patient care, while the routine use of mandatory overtime results in nurses working dangerously long hours.
Nurses fear that pure exhaustion makes it impossible to ensure their patients' and their own safety.
When asked which issues in the work setting have a positive impact on the quality of their work experience, an overwhelming majority said having a union has the most positive impact. Union representation has given nurses a number of benefits, including protections against harassment and grievance procedures to combat offensive behavior.