Associations of nurse-perceived staffing adequacy and psychosocial work environments with nursing care left undone in pediatric wards.

PURPOSE: This study examined the associations among nurse-perceived staffing adequacy, the psychosocial work environment, and nursing care left undone in pediatric wards. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in seven pediatric wards of a tertiary children's hospital in South Korea in 2024. Nurse-perceived staffing adequacy was measured using a 4-point scale (very insufficient to very sufficient). The psychosocial work environment was assessed using the third version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III). Care left undone was measured by asking nurses whether they had left each of 13 nursing activities undone because of insufficient time during their most recent shift. Data were collected through a survey of 121 nurses. Regression analyses were conducted to examine associations among the study variables. RESULTS: Most nurses perceived staffing as very insufficient (20.7%) or insufficient (70.2%). Nurses reported an average of 5.8 nursing activities left undone because of time constraints, with patient repositioning being the most frequently omitted activity. Seventeen of the 28 COPSOQ III dimensions differed significantly by staffing adequacy, with more favorable work environments observed as perceived staffing adequacy improved. Perceiving staffing as very insufficient and higher quantitative demands were significantly associated with greater numbers of care activities left undone. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse staffing adequacy and quantitative work demands appear to be key factors associated with care left undone in pediatric inpatient settings. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: Ensuring adequate staffing and reducing excessive quantitative work demands may minimize care left undone and improve the quality of pediatric nursing care.