Our Impact

Determining safe and appropriate nurse staffing levels, ensuring that the right nurse is in the right place at the right time, can be challenging. For many years, nurse staffing decisions in the Irish healthcare system were based on historical need and legacy issues rather than using a systematic, evidence-based approach.

At the same time, burnout among healthcare workers is more prevalent than in many other professions, affecting staff wellbeing, patient care, and the healthcare system performance. Recognising the importance of addressing mental health in the workplace, the EU's Joint Action on Mental Health and Wellbeing identified mental health as a priority and promoted improved prevention, diagnosis, and care for mental disorders across Member States.

Researchers in the Centre for Safer Staffing and Healthcare Systems Research (The CATALYST Centre) in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, are addressing these challenges by generating evidence to determine safe nurse staffing levels, reduce adverse patient events, enhance job satisfaction, and tackle burnout among healthcare professionals.

Our research programmes, including The Programme of Research on ‘Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix’ and ‘Magnet4Europe’ are driving improvements in patient safety, staff wellbeing and healthcare workforce sustainability. These initiatives provide an evidence-based model for transforming healthcare environments, ensuring safer, more supportive settings for both staff and patients.

Our Aims

By implementing evidence-based frameworks for safe staffing and redesigning healthcare workplaces, this research aims to reduce adverse patient events, enhance job satisfaction, and tackle burnout among healthcare professionals.

Our Projects

Programme of Research on Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix (funded by the Health Research Board and the Department of Health)

The results from the research team at UCC and UCD were central to the publication of major policy documents by the Department of Health that outline, for the first time in Ireland, the process to ensure that wards and emergency departments are safely staffed to meet patient need and to ensure their safety.

The Programme of Research on Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix research reports and the Frameworks from the Programme of Research on Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix can be accessed here: Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix. The Programme website can be accessed here: Programme of Research into Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems

Some Publications from the Research:

Brady, N., O'Connell, S., Gilligan, D., Madden, C., Gannon, L., Howson, V., Ball, J. E., Murphy, A., Griffiths, P., Duffield, C., Scott, P. A., Mc Carthy, V. J. C. & Drennan, J. (2025) Planned Changes to Nurse Leadership, Staffing and Skill-Mix: Impact on the Working Environment, Job Satisfaction and Intention to Leave. Journal of Advanced Nursing 10.1111/jan.16752

Mc Carthy, V. J. C., Brady, N., Murphy, A., Murphy, A., Ball, Crouch, R., Duffield, C., Griffiths, P., Scott, A. & Drennan, J. (2025) The Impact of a Planned Change to Nurse Staffing Levels in Emergency Departments: A Pre-Test, Post-Test Design. Journal of Advanced Nursing 10.1111/jan.16845

Drennan, J., Murphy, A., McCarthy, V. J. C., Ball, J., Duffield, C., Crouch, R., Kelly, G., Loughnane, C., Murphy, A., Hegarty, J., Brady, N., Scott, A. & Griffiths, P. (2024) The association between nurse staffing and quality of care in emergency departments: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2024.104706

Magnet4Europe (funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 programme)

The Magnet4Europe initiative sought to enhance mental health and wellbeing among healthcare workers and improve patient safety across over 60 hospitals in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and the UK. The project involved a comprehensive redesign of hospital workplaces, supported by partnerships with experienced Magnet-recognized hospitals known for their exemplary work environments.

Overall, Magnet4Europe represents a concerted effort to tackle burnout in healthcare by creating healthier work environments, ultimately benefiting both staff and patients.

‘Magnet4Europe’ project website can be accessed here: MAGNET4EUROPE - Home