Abstract
Introduction. Nursing care rationing, defined as the omission or delay of aspects of required patient care, is a significant problem affecting patient safety and quality of care. This phenomenon, resulting from staff shortages, limited financial resources, and difficult working conditions, leads to worse patient outcomes. Analyzing the factors contributing to care rationing in Poland is crucial to understanding this problem.
Aim. The study aimed to analyse the nursing literature on factors influencing the rationing of nursing care in Poland.
Method. The literature review was conducted based on articles from the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases, published in Polish and English in the years 2014–2025. Altogether 308 articles were identified, of which sixteen were included in the analysis after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of the selected studies was assessed using the MMAT tool (2018), and the results were summarized in the form of tables and narrative synthesis.
Conclusions. The most frequently studied factors increasing nursing care rationing are burnout, fatigue, low evaluation of work environment, and job and life satisfaction. The results of the review emphasize the need for interventions aimed at improving working conditions and psychosocial support for nurses, which may contribute to reducing the level of care rationing.