All health and social care employers, including NHS Trusts and health boards, must address the causes of workplace stressors in their organisations and prevent them from contributing to suicidal thoughts among nursing staff, according to a new report from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
It comes as new figures from the RCN show a 29% rise in staff seeking support for suicidal ideation from the RCN’s Advice Line in the first six months of 2024. The increase in calls rises to 76% when compared with the same six months in 2023.
The first of its kind UK-wide report found that more than two-thirds of nursing staff who had contacted the RCN’s Advice Line between February 2022 and February 2024, said that the workplace was a key factor behind why they were seeking help. Now, a series of recommendations have been published with the aim of reducing instances of suicidal ideation, which has become increasingly prevalent among nursing staff.
All health and care employers must begin to implement preventative measures to reduce work-related pressures and pre-empt stressors which may trigger a mental health crisis and suicidal ideation, the report says. Within every organisation, there must be designated staff to support individuals at risk and all human resource staff, personal tutors, and occupational health clinicians should undergo training in suicide awareness and prevention.
Employers should also report to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in cases where work is a contributing factor to suicide, the authors argue.
The RCN’s report describes how nursing staff have been put under extreme pressure at work, with workload, bullying and harassment, and a lack of work-life balance cited as drivers of suicidal thoughts. It also showed distress faced by those going through formal proceedings, which is one of the most frequently used explanations for why workplace pressure has forced them to seek support.
Following publication, a groundbreaking pilot scheme has been launched between the RCN and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. Together, the College and the Trust will review staff experiences before setting new standards for supporting those at risk of suicide and improving working conditions and workplace culture. The pilot will be used to develop a UK-wide framework and standards, owned by the RCN, that can be used by every employer across the health and care system.
The RCN also recommends far greater research into the prevalence of suicidal thoughts amongst nursing staff, with nursing support workers, LGBTQ+, and neurodiverse nursing professionals considered the most high-risk groups. It also concludes that more research is needed to understand suicide within ethnic minority nursing communities.
At the heart of the RCN’s demands is a call to create compassionate workplaces as the bedrock of quality care, underpinned by a preventative approach and an end to the culture of mental health stigma that prevents people from seeking help when they need it most.
The RCN is also urging governments to commit to fully funded mental health support for all nursing staff, provided by every employer. The demand is part of the College’s wider campaign to create safe and supportive workplaces.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said: “It’s becoming increasingly clear that workplace pressures are contributing to a rise in suicidal thoughts among nursing staff. This is a very serious issue that requires the full attention of ministers and employers.
“Nursing is a brilliant and rewarding career, but it can also be physically and emotionally draining. Whilst suicide is a complex issue, employers have an important duty of care towards their staff, to provide a healthy working environment, ensuring pressures at work do not become too great and push people into a mental health crisis.
“Happy and healthy workplaces are the bedrock of quality care, and we desperately need a national set of standards across all health and care settings in the UK. These must be built around compassion and prevention and encourage staff to seek support, ensuring mental health interventions are effective and timely.
“The RCN is pleased to be launching a pilot scheme with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. Together we will review staff experiences and explore how changes to workplace culture can improve staff mental health. The scheme will help pave the way for UK-wide standards in health and care.”
Rachel Evans, Chief People and Strategy Officer, at Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Compassion and kindness are at the heart of the great care we are determined to deliver in Oxleas. This is one of the three big priorities in our new strategy.
“We know that we will only deliver great care if we take the very best care of our brilliant nursing staff and all our people. We have made good progress on making Oxleas a place where people want to work, where they feel valued, cared for and included, but there is so much more that we want to do. We have big plans for the future and are delighted to be part of the RCN Compassion in Practice pilot."
