Nurses’ high-pressure court work pushes many to think of quitting
Posted 05 September 2024 - 15:30
Learning disability nurses say demands of Court of Protection work puts them under intolerable pressure, and a survey found many have quit or want to do so
Learning disability nurses want to quit because they feel ‘totally consumed and burnt out’ by the snowballing demands of Court of Protection work.
Nurses are increasingly being asked to provide capacity assessments, attend court as witnesses and to present cases in relation to service users. Deadlines are often tight and nurses are often untrained in legal processes.
Pressure on learning disability nurses from escalating court workloads
A survey of learning disability nurses in England and Wales, found that one third of respondents had considered leaving their role or had already done so because of Court of Protection workload.
‘It can feel like an unsafe way to work. I have been looking for alternative employment, when I previously loved my job’
Nurse responding to survey
The survey of more than 110 learning disablity nurses, carried out by the RCN’s professional lead in learning disabilities nursing Jonathan Beebee, also revealed urgent deadlines and prioritising complex court caseloads over other patient needs was the most stressful aspect of the work.
CPD: Understanding and meeting your legal responsibilities as a nurse
One nurse told the survey: ‘My caseload is already intense, then unrealistic demands for the court is extremely stressful and takes time away from patients who are at times in crisis. It can feel like an unsafe way to work. I have been looking for alternative employment, when I previously loved my job.’
Learning disability nurses need employers’ support to prepare them for court work
Now nursing leaders are calling for more training and support for Court of Proection work so learning disability nurses are no longer being ‘thrown in the deep end.’
Mr Beebee said: ‘Some working in this field feel burnt out and that their role has now been totally consumed by Court of Protection work.
‘Court dealings are not covered in standard nurse training and can be incredibly daunting, so employers need to ensure nurses have the training and support around them for these tasks.
‘The survey showed regional variations in the stress nurses experience from Court of Protection work, which indicates that some areas have more effective structures than others.’
Nursing curriculum is failing to address need to present legal reports
Neil James, a consultant learning disability nurse professor, explained that learning disability nurses have vital skills to provide information and assessments to the court, but many have no experience of writing legal reports for courts.
‘The challenge is that there isn’t any training – the nursing curriculum doesn’t cover it. So nurses are coming into this role with no preparation or awareness of how to navigate the system or write reports,’ he said. ‘The cases are complex and often nurses are dealing with legal representatives, families, social services and other service providers, and are under very tight deadlines.’
Professor James urged learning disability nurses to seek support from their employers’ legal departments for help to write reports for the courts. He said he is aware of nurses who had already left their jobs due to the pressures.
‘Learning disability nurses are dedicated, committed and they are creative in the way they work. But with the workforce already small, it is worrying so many have thought about leaving over this issue, or already have.’
The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment.
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