More than one third of nurses considering leaving profession, survey suggests

More than one third of nurses are considering leaving the profession, a new survey has suggested.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland spoke to almost 1,900 nurses in Scotland as part of its state of the profession report.

The survey found 37% were actively planning on leaving the job, 74% of whom said the key reason was feeling undervalued.

Two thirds also reported working more than their contracted hours, while 68% of respondents said they felt their pay was “inappropriate” given the responsibilities they have.

As of September, there were 2,800 vacancies in nursing in Scotland.

Responding to the report, the RCN called on the Government to implement the recommendations of a taskforce on nursing and midwifery published earlier this year.

Eileen McKenna, the body’s associate director for nursing, policy and professional practice, said: “Nursing remains a rewarding career, but while many of our members still find deep personal satisfaction in their roles, this survey suggests a growing uncertainty about whether nursing will remain a fulfilling profession in the long-term.

“Scottish Government cannot afford to delay addressing this.

“Our members have told us how undervalued they feel and how dissatisfied they are with their working conditions and ability to provide the level of care they want to.

“Nursing is key to improving the health of the population and politicians and policymakers need to stay focused on the nursing workforce crisis as we head into an election year.

“Scottish Government has been given solutions by the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce but have made little progress on implementation.

“Scottish Government must fully fund and implement the Taskforce recommendations and the Agenda for Change review to convince nursing staff that their contribution is genuinely valued.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie accused the Government of presiding over a “workforce crisis”.

“It is clear from the responses to this survey that despite the reward that comes from the profession and the drive that nurses have to care for patients, they are being pushed to burnout by the lack of a proper plan,” she said.

“There are over 2,800 nursing vacancies in the NHS alone. NHS employers and the Scottish Government have never filled the gap between the number of staff health boards say they need, to deliver services safely, and actual nursing staff in post.”

And Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole Hamilton said: “When nurses are exhausted and overwhelmed, they simply can’t deliver the standard of care patients deserve.

“Scotland should expect better. SNP health secretaries may come and go, but the situation has not improved on their watch. Mental health continues to be sidelined as a lesser priority.

“The government needs to put recruitment and retention front and centre to stop burnout and ensure every shift is properly staffed.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Agenda for Change staff, which includes nurses, voted unanimously to accept an 8% pay increase over two years, ensuring they are the best paid in the UK and providing peace of mind on pay for our hard-working nurses.

“These pay uplifts recognise the vital contribution nurses and their NHS colleagues provide to the people of Scotland whilst ensuring equity and sustainability.

“We are determined to do more to recruit and retain our valuable nursing workforce, and our Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has agreed several recommended actions to ensure nursing remains an attractive career and we are working with key stakeholders to implement these.”