Supply chain issues have been top of mind for many with the disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, but an often overlooked area, medical couriers, also contribute to supply bottlenecking, according to an American Nurse Journal survey.
Of 353 nurse respondents, 87 percent said medical courier deliveries affected their work weekly, with 71 percent reporting that courier delays or errors hamper their ability to provide patient care at least once per month, according to a May 3 news release.
Nineteen percent of nurses said those issues affected their ability to provide patient care five or more times per month.
Medical courier delivery troubles have led 32 percent of nurses to create "secret stashes" of supplies, while 27 percent have taken the delivery of supplies into their own hands by transporting items themselves. Fifty-six percent of nurses have had to reschedule a patient procedure in the past year because of medical courier issues.