# Missed Nursing Care Among Hospital Nurses in the Middle East: A Systematic Literature Review

## TL;DR

This study reviews how often hospital nurses in the Middle East miss care tasks and identifies factors like staffing shortages and workload that contribute to this issue.

## Contribution

The paper provides the first systematic synthesis of missed nursing care in the Middle East using recent data from 2020 to 2025.

## Key findings

- Missed nursing care prevalence ranged from 1.06 to 2.9 out of five, indicating low to moderate levels.
- Commonly missed care activities included ambulation, hygiene, mouth care, and patient teaching.
- Staffing shortages, heavy workload, and communication issues were key contributing factors.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Missed Nursing Care is a global concern that affects nurses’ well-being and patients’ safety. Despite global recognition of Missed Nursing Care, there is limited synthesized evidence that determines its characteristics in a Middle Eastern context. The purpose of the study is to synthesize the existing evidence about the prevalence of Missed Nursing Care among nurses in hospitals, the types of care missed, and reasons for Missed Nursing Care in the Middle East. Methods: A systematic literature review is conducted by using a comprehensive search in CINAHL, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases for studies published between 2020 and 2025 and utilizing the MISSCARE Survey. Results: 25 studies met the inclusion criteria. The reported prevalence of Missed Nursing Care ranged between 1.06 and 2.9 out of five, indicating a low to moderate level. Frequent missed care activities included ambulation, hygiene, mouth care, and patient teaching. Contributing factors were staffing shortages, heavy workload, resource limitations, and communication issues. Missed Nursing Care critically affected patients’ outcomes, reduced job satisfaction, and caused moral distress and a higher intent to leave the profession. Conclusions: Missed Nursing Care remains a significant, complex challenge in the Middle East. Therefore, understanding this phenomenon in the region is needed. Collaborative efforts among policymakers, administrators, and nursing leaders are essential to implement targeted interventions, supportive policies, and ongoing research to minimize Missed Nursing Care across the Middle East.