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Nursing Standard research reveals high turnover of top level staff Exclusive by Katie Osborne @NS_reporter More than one quarter of nursing directors across nearly 200 NHS trusts in England have been in post a year or less, a Nursing Standard investigation has found. Our research has also revealed that more than 55 per cent of nursing directors were recruited in the past three years, prompting concern among nurse leaders that there is instability on trust boards. Similar research carried out last year by Nursing Standard revealed that almost half of the nursing directors in England had been in post for less than three years. Nursing leaders have attributed the high turnover to the pressure and lack of support that comes with the nursing director job, while warning that stability in the NHS is more important now than at any other time in its history. Unison’s head of nursing Gail Adams said: ‘These figures are
really very concerning because they show we are not valuing directors of nursing. Continuity is really important. ‘Across the board, since Francis, it has been a very difficult time for nursing leaders,’ she added. RCN England director Tom Sandford said trusts are
THE BEST HOSPITALS IN THE WORLD HAD STABLE LEADERSHIP – Anne Marie Rafferty
struggling to recruit high calibre nursing directors because large numbers of very experienced nurses have retired. He added that many senior nurses have come out of retirement to fill director positions on an interim basis. Two trusts have recently recruited nursing directors from Australia, after struggling to fill the positions, he said. ‘Many trusts
and recruitment agencies have contacted me looking for names of suitable candidates.’ Senior nurses are reluctant to apply for posts at trusts that had faced challenges in the past, said Mr Sandford, adding that a shortage of top level talent is leading some trusts to recruit from overseas. Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery professor of nursing policy Anne Marie Rafferty said: ‘High turnover might suggest there is something negative going on and people are voting with their feet. ‘On the other hand, low turnover could suggest that people are staying in their jobs because there are no other opportunities out there. So it is a double-edged sword.’ But she added that research had shown that the best hospitals in the world had stable leadership, which had been built up over many years.
RCN Library’s exhibition honours the efforts of front line nurses An exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war opened at the RCN headquarters in London on Monday. Frontline Nurses: British Nurses of the First World War opened at the RCN’s Library and Heritage Centre and features photographs, diaries and accounts belonging to nurses who were involved in the allied war effort between 1914 and 1918. RCN history of nursing society committee member Christine Hallett said: ‘Among all the death and destruction of the first world war, the conflict brought about many changes in nursing and had a major effect on the development of the profession.’
NURSING august :: vol 28without no 49 permission. :: 2014 7 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Dec 06, 2015. For personal use only. No 6 other uses Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
Share your news with us – email [email protected], call +44 (0)20 8872 3144 or @NScomment
Nursing Standard research reveals high turnover of top level staff Exclusive by Katie Osborne @NS_reporter More than one quarter of nursing directors across nearly 200 NHS trusts in England have been in post a year or less, a Nursing Standard investigation has found. Our research has also revealed that more than 55 per cent of nursing directors were recruited in the past three years, prompting concern among nurse leaders that there is instability on trust boards. Similar research carried out last year by Nursing Standard revealed that almost half of the nursing directors in England had been in post for less than three years. Nursing leaders have attributed the high turnover to the pressure and lack of support that comes with the nursing director job, while warning that stability in the NHS is more important now than at any other time in its history. Unison’s head of nursing Gail Adams said: ‘These figures are
really very concerning because they show we are not valuing directors of nursing. Continuity is really important. ‘Across the board, since Francis, it has been a very difficult time for nursing leaders,’ she added. RCN England director Tom Sandford said trusts are
THE BEST HOSPITALS IN THE WORLD HAD STABLE LEADERSHIP – Anne Marie Rafferty
struggling to recruit high calibre nursing directors because large numbers of very experienced nurses have retired. He added that many senior nurses have come out of retirement to fill director positions on an interim basis. Two trusts have recently recruited nursing directors from Australia, after struggling to fill the positions, he said. ‘Many trusts
and recruitment agencies have contacted me looking for names of suitable candidates.’ Senior nurses are reluctant to apply for posts at trusts that had faced challenges in the past, said Mr Sandford, adding that a shortage of top level talent is leading some trusts to recruit from overseas. Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery professor of nursing policy Anne Marie Rafferty said: ‘High turnover might suggest there is something negative going on and people are voting with their feet. ‘On the other hand, low turnover could suggest that people are staying in their jobs because there are no other opportunities out there. So it is a double-edged sword.’ But she added that research had shown that the best hospitals in the world had stable leadership, which had been built up over many years.
RCN Library’s exhibition honours the efforts of front line nurses An exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war opened at the RCN headquarters in London on Monday. Frontline Nurses: British Nurses of the First World War opened at the RCN’s Library and Heritage Centre and features photographs, diaries and accounts belonging to nurses who were involved in the allied war effort between 1914 and 1918. RCN history of nursing society committee member Christine Hallett said: ‘Among all the death and destruction of the first world war, the conflict brought about many changes in nursing and had a major effect on the development of the profession.’
NURSING august :: vol 28without no 49 permission. :: 2014 7 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Dec 06, 2015. For personal use only. No 6 other uses Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
