Originally published in healthmatters issue 32, Winter 1997/8, page 3
News
Nursing recruitment crisis
Nursing is facing its worst recuitment crisis for 25 years, the Royal College of Nursing has claimed. With registered nurse turnover running at 21 per cent (up from 12 per cent in 1992), the RCN fears that patient care may be threatened in the future.
Research from the independent company Income Data Services shows that nine out of ten NHS trusts have experienced recruitment problems. In addition, applications for nurse education places fell below the number of places available for the first time in 1996-97, and new entries on the nursing register were at an all-time low of 11,208 (compared with 13,931 in 1992-93).
The RCN also estimates that one in four registered nurses will be eligible for retirement by the year 2000.
James Munro
