Determinants of Missed Nursing Care by Nurses at University Teaching and Referral Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) in Rwanda

Introduction: Missed Nursing Care is a challenging concern in healthcare settings. Focusing on identifying them and their associated factors will assist healthcare providers to improving patient's outcomes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the levels, types and the factors that influence missed nursing care activities by nurses at the University Teaching and Referral Hospital of Kigali in Rwanda.

Materials and Methods: This study was cross-sectional descriptive correlation design. The researchers used census method to obtain participants. The researchers used MISSCARE survey questionnaires for data collection. The data was analysed using SPSS version 26.0. descriptive and inferential statistics were computed to respond to research objectives.

Results: Two hundred and one (201) nurses took part in the study, 56.7% were female and 46.3% were male. The majority were aged 31-40 years, 54.2% had Diploma, 42.3% had bachelor while 3.5% had master’s degree. The study showed that responding to call alarms within 5 minutes, monitoring intake and output, and patient health education were always being missed by nurses. Department where nurses work, gender, satisfaction with salary, level of education, and nursing communication were the most statistically significant factors associated with level of missed nursing care activities.

Discussion: Majority, 46.73% of nurses viewed the level of missed nursing care as moderate at the hospital. The most nursing activities that have always been missed were responding to call alarms within 5 minutes, joining interdisplinary whenever held, monitoring intake and output, and patient health education. The study findings revealed that gender, level of education, and the department in which the nurses work were the most statistically significant factors contributing to missed nursing care at the hospital.

Conclusions: Managers, nurse in-charges should enhance nursing communication among nurses and others health care professionals as this is the most significant factor leading to missed nursing care.