2020 has been designated by the World Health Organisation as the first ever international Year of the Nurse and Midwife, and they have launched a “year-long effort to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives, highlight the challenging conditions they often face, and advocate for increased investments in the nursing and midwifery workforce”.
Registered nurses have opportunities to work in a variety of areas or, if they prefer, to specialize in one area e.g. midwifery; mental health. As a career, nursing, has a breadth of opportunity underpinned by an excellent salary and employee benefits. In terms of professional standing, nursing is highly regarded by other professions and most importantly by the UK public.
The career pathway for a registered nurse enables the person to navigate a career towards
executive nursing or higher management. Therefore, as a life-long career, nursing offers the person opportunities for growth as their personal circumstances change.
The National Health Service is universally held in high regard by the UK public. Those who work within the NHS are seen as providing a service of national importance. Professionals working within the NHS are given status by the public.
The greatest challenge facing the NHS is the recruitment and retention of an adequate health and care workforce. Nursing is facing one of the greatest recruitment problems and NHS hospitals and mental health and community providers are currently reporting a shortages of nurses as those ‘Baby Boomer’ staff retire from the service. A debate on the shortage of staff took place in Parliament on 3rd March 2020. The background to the debate was as follows:-
‘The need to recruit and retain an adequate health and care workforce has been described by many commentators as the greatest challenge currently facing the NHS.1 The Care Quality Commission’s State of Care report for 2018/19 stated that workforce problems are having a direct impact on care. Nursing is facing one of the greatest recruitment problems and NHS hospitals and mental health and community providers are currently reporting a shortage of around 40,000 full time equivalent (FTE) nurses. According to analysis conducted by The Health Foundation, The King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust in 2019, on current trends, in 10 years’ time the NHS will have a shortfall of approximately 108,000 full-time equivalent nurses.2 The Government published an Interim People Plan in June 2019 which identified a need to prioritise urgent action on nursing shortages, and a full five-year People Plan is expected at some point this year. The Government has also made a number of pledges related to the nursing workforce, including an additional 50,000 nurses in the NHS by 2024/25, introducing a nursing grant, and devising a fast-track visa for NHS workers, including nurses.’ Nursing Workforce Shortage – Debate Pack – 28 February 2020
Now is a good time for people considering returning to their nursing career to re-enter the
workforce. It is also an opportune time for people who want to take up nursing as a career and to hear about the training opportunities and career pathways on offer.
