A survey of nurses in Scotland suggests many feel too overburdened to provide the quality of care they would like to.

Research published today by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland also reveals half of nurses in Scotland who took part in a UK-wide poll are working unpaid past their contracted hours at least once a week.

Across Scotland there were more than 4,000 NHS nurse vacancies in 2019, the highest ever level.

“The most upsetting and stressful part of my job is being unable to give good patient care due to poor staffing levels,” said one nurse who responded to the survey, “…and unfortunately it has become ‘normal’ to work under this constant stress. Never have I felt pressure like this in my career and have never felt so undervalued.”

Other findings include two in three nurses saying they had been verbally abused by patients and their relatives.

Meanwhile 37% said they had experienced bullying.

Theresa Fyffe of RCN Scotland likened trying to deliver high quality care in a depleted workforce to “having an arm and a leg tied behind your back”.

The nurses’ union and professional body is calling on the Scottish Government to publish its integrated workforce plan, which has been delayed for over a year.

Health secretary Jeane Freeman promised last week the strategy would be out before Christmas.

Ms Fyffe says the survey illustrates the highs and lows of nursing:

“At its best, nursing gives people a sense of identity, pride, achievement and huge fulfilment – almost three quarters of respondents view nursing as a rewarding career.

“But it’s clear that nurses and health care support workers are feeling overworked in under-resourced environments.

“It’s time to make staff wellbeing a major priority and the first step is to safeguard staff psychological health through the guidance and implementation for the safe staffing act.”

The RCN received 1,916 responses from members in Scotland out of a total of 8,307 responses across the UK.