Nursing Skills: Is There a Shortage?

Abstract

Although the nursing profession is a large occupational group and a major part of the National Health Service, surprisingly little is known about the demand for and supply of nurses. Current demographic trends, however, have ensured that a traditional “easy in/easy out” model of recruitment and retention, with high wastage rates during and after training, is being replaced by the idea that nurse education is a valuable and expensive investment and trained nurses must be encouraged to view nursing as a life‐time career. In 1988 there was considerable media interest in shortages of skilled nurses. A number of factors are examined, relevant to assessing whether there are such shortages. In particular, the demand for nurses, manpower and financial aspects of supply, recruitment and retention, and skill mix are considered. Two groups of nurses in which there are said to be shortages are briefly discussed: paediatric intensive care and community mental handicap and mental illness nurses.

Citation

Martin, L. (1990), "Nursing Skills: Is There a Shortage?", International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 37-43. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000000871