A Global Overview of Missed Nursing Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed unparalleled pressure on many countries’ healthcare systems, impacting the delivery of health and nursing care services. Despite the growing number of missed care studies during the pandemic, a broader perspective is essential when designing theory-driven strategies to improve nursing care delivery. This review aimed to synthesize evidence of missed nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic in acute care settings through a systematic review and narrative synthesis. An electronic search of articles published since the emergence of the pandemic was conducted using 5 databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycINFO). A total of 470 articles were identified during the initial search, and 10 articles were included in the review. The sample sizes of the studies ranged from 37 to 536 nurses. Results of the content analysis were grouped into 5 categories: (1) prevalence of missed care, (2) frequency of missed care, (3) reasons for missed care, (4) nurses’ and organizational variables contributing to missed care, and (5) work environment elements contributing to missed care. The review’s findings revealed a shift in the nature of missed nursing care during the pandemic, with an emphasis on nursing care tasks vital for the recovery of patients with COVID-19. Despite the unique circumstances brought about by the pandemic, an inadequate nursing workforce continued to be identified as the primary reason for missed care, consistent with the pre-pandemic period.