DCU study shows more than 80 per cent of nurses attended work while ill

As reported in the Irish Times today, more than 80 per cent of nurses and midwives reported for work at some stage over the last year while feeling unwell, a new study has found.

The study, commissioned by the Irish Nurses’ and Midwives’ Organisation, was carried out by a team of academics at Dublin City University and involved nearly 1,500 nurses and midwives.  The research was led by Dr Steven Kilroy, a post-doctoral researcher and lecturer at DCU, whose research interests are in the areas of human resource management and organisational behaviour.

The study found a quarter of nurses and midwives said they had turned up for work at least once while feeling sick in the last year. Nearly 50 per cent said this had happened between two and five times while 10 per cent maintained it had happened more than five times. About a third of nurses and midwives surveyed said they had worked for three to five days while feeling unwell. Nine per cent said they had turned up for work for 10 days while not well.

The full article is available at The Irish Times