How can high nursing workloads in India be reduced? Solutions for healthcare leaders

Abstract

When there is a nursing shortage, the nurse-to-patient ratios inevitably deteriorate, leading to a high nursing workload. High nursing workload affects not only patient care quality and patient safety, but also nursing outcomes. High nursing workload is a significant issue in Indian healthcare settings. Despite being a pressing issue, the literature on nursing workload in India is scarce; hence, the author conducted a non-systematic narrative review to fill this literature gap and provide an overview of the current landscape of nursing workload in India, along with solutions to address the issue. The article also provided an overview of the contributing factors to nursing workload and how high nursing workload affects nurses. The scientific literature was located using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases, and grey literature was accessed through reports from international agencies and nursing professional associations. The review revealed that high nursing workload is multifactorial and has several negative impacts on nurses. Potential strategies to reduce nursing workload include improving the nurse staffing levels, incorporating digital technology, providing administrative support to the nurses, and nurse-led coping strategies.