Survey study, 2024
Does PMS affect how well nurses do their job?
Yes. The study found a strong connection between PMS and missed or incomplete nursing care. In particular, abdominal discomfort from PMS was linked to missed activities like medication administration and patient monitoring.
What they did
Cross-sectional study of 224 female nurses working in nine departments at a cancer hospital in China. They measured PMS symptoms and missed nursing care activities between November 2022 and April 2023.
What they found
68.7% of nurses had PMS. The most common symptoms were low back pain (91.1%), abdominal discomfort (90.6%), cold hands and feet (87.1%), and lethargy (87.1%). 91.5% of all nurses reported missing or not completing at least one nursing care activity. The most frequently missed activities were liquid intake and output monitoring (43.3%), medication administration within 30 minutes of scheduled time (43.3%), and electrocardiogram monitoring (42.9%). Abdominal discomfort was significantly linked to missed nursing care.
What it means for you
PMS appears to affect nurses' ability to complete their work tasks, which could impact patient safety. This suggests hospitals should be aware of how PMS affects their female staff and provide support. The main limit is that this is a cross-sectional study in one hospital in China, so findings may not apply everywhere. It also does not test whether treating PMS would improve nursing care.
68.7%
Nurses with PMS
91.5%
Missing at least one care task
43.3%
Missing medication administration
About the study
- Original title
- A cross-sectional study of the relationship between premenstrual syndrome and missed nursing care among female nursing staff
- Authors
- Chen X, Yu J, Chen J et al.
- Journal
- Heliyon
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Survey study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27609
Topics
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