[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Most university students don't have to go on 40hr/week unpaid placement and can have a part-time job.

I disagree fundamentally about it "not being a degree based profession" - there is ample evidence that well educated nurses = less mortality across the board. Nurses are and should remain trained medical professionals, they're not levelled-up healthcare assistants.

Also the reason for rising vacancies is poor pay and poor working conditions meaning that new people aren't attracted to the profession, as well as a significant number of experienced nurses from the EU leaving the country thanks to good old Brexit.

NHS Digital report has revealed a number of interesting fact about the NHS workforce. Below is the breakdown of NHS Nurses Nationalities.

84% of nurses & health visitors in hospital and community health services (HCHS) are British.

7% (22,081) of nurses report an EU nationality other than British. Of these, 58% are either Irish, Spanish or Portuguese.

6% (16,727) of nurses report an Asian nationality. Of these, 90% are either Philippine or Indian.

There are 7,004 nurses with an African nationality.

The highest ‘Other’ nationality is Jamaican, with 469.

I think 3 years at university is off putting for many wanting to get into nursing, it’s a job that requires common sense and empathy plus a flair an desire to look after people which no amount of lectures can teach, my sister was a Theatre nurse, she qualified before the current need for a degree of course she still had to study, and she also studied throughout her career, so not going to uni doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be well educated. Pay does need to be addressed, I think NHS conditions are pretty good ie. holidays, pension, sick pay, support