More than 70pc of student nurses considering options abroad due to pay and working conditions
A survey which consulted nursing students in Ireland has revealed that more than 70% of them are considering leaving Ireland, with almost 80% of training nurses saying that pay increases and improvements in staffing and working conditions are needed to retain graduates.
The figures come courtesy of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), who carried out a survey of fourth Year Students on their plans for when they graduate.
The key results of the survey showed:
- 71% are considering leaving Ireland;
- 60% are considering leaving the public health service to work in the private sector;
- 57% have already been approached by overseas nursing companies;
- 18% have been offered permanent contracts by the HSE;
- 79% identify increases in pay and improvements in staffing and working conditions as the required incentives to retain nurses and midwives in the public services; and,
- 76% say staffing levels are not adequate to support learning and training of student nurses in the clinical setting.
Recruitment and retention of nursing and midwifery graduates in Ireland is a serious concern. In December 2007 the nursing and midwifery WTE was 39,006. In December 2017 this figure was 36,777, a loss of 2,229 nurses and midwives in the Irish Public Service.
The evidence from the survey highlighted that the top three ranking incentives to entice the graduates to stay within the public health service are an increase in pay, improved staffing levels and working conditions and access to funded postgraduate education.
At the time of the survey (February 21 – March 7) overseas recruitment companies had already approached 57% of respondents while the HSE had only offered permanent contracts to 18%. Without real competitive rates of pay the offer of permanent contracts in overcrowded understaffed workplaces are simply not going to keep nurses and midwives here and will not be enough as this survey shows.
Speaking this morning INMO Student and New Graduate Officer, Neal Donohue said:
“The offer of a permanent contract for an extremely low paid job with poor working conditions is simply not attractive for nursing and midwifery interns. The shortage of skilled and experienced nurses and midwives to support the education of students will also mean there will be further deficits going forward.”
INMO General Secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha said:
“The results from this survey are stark and reinforce the point that recruitment and retention is now very urgent. If we are to develop the services to implement the Bed Capacity Report, the Maternity Strategy and the recent Framework for Staffing and Skill Mix which is to be rolled out nationwide, the Public Service Pay Commission needs to deliver for nurses and midwives. The government has agreed that there is a deficit in nursing and midwifery and they now need to retain the experienced nurses and midwives we have here and recruit our new graduates who are considering leaving the country. To improve the conditions and staffing levels low pay throughout the nursing career has to be addressed.