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CSJ THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL Editor
Louise Frampton
louiseframpton@stepcomms.com
Technical Editor Kate Woodhead Business Manager
Dean Walford
deanwalford@stepcomms.com
Journal Administration Katy Cockle
katycockle@stepcomms.com
Design Steven Dillon Publisher
Geoff King
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Publishing Director Trevor Moon
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THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL is published in January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October and November by Step Communications Ltd, Step House, North Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 3DR, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1892 779999 Email:
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Valuing the nursing workforce
At the time of writing this, ‘International Nurses’ Day’ was being celebrated – a day when recognition is given to the incredible difference nursing staff make to patients’ lives across the world. Taking place on 12 May (the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth), the day offers the opportunity to give thanks to the teams of nurses around the world that care for us all in our most vulnerable moments – while risking their own wellbeing, their health and even their lives.
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© Step Communications Ltd, 2022 Single copy: £19.00 per issue.
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WHO estimates that, from January 2020 to May 2021, at least 180,000 health and care workers died as a result of COVID-19. During the pandemic, the UK stood on their doorsteps and clapped to show their appreciation, but how can this surge in appreciation and support provide a catalyst for action and investment, as we move forward? As part of the dialogue around the contribution of nurses, ICN launched its International Nurses Day (IND) toolkit (Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in nursing and respect rights to secure global health) to help turn global strategy into meaningful local action and improved clinical practice on the ground. The report looks at the four policy focus areas: education, jobs, leadership and service delivery and discusses the benefits of investing in each of these areas. In addition, the toolkit focuses on two vitally important strategic priorities that have come to the forefront over the last two years: investing in and prioritising the safety of healthcare workers and caring for the health and wellbeing of nurses.
The president of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), Dr. Pamela Cipriano, commented: “Nurses have given their all in the fight against COVID-19, Ebola, in disaster areas and in war zones. Yet, they continue to face under-staffing, lack of protection, heavy workloads, and low wages. It is time now to take real action to address workplace safety, protect nurses and safeguard their physical and mental health. “Women form 70% of the global health workforce, but only 25% of leadership roles. They bear the burden of lower-paid, undervalued jobs and unpaid care and domestic work. We can help to empower women and promote gender equality by investing in nursing.
JUNE 2022
“Recent reports have shown that investment in nursing is needed now if we are to meet the healthcare challenges of the future. We can no longer continue to undervalue and underinvest in nursing. Now is the time for action.”
The ICN also warned that: “The scale of the world-wide nursing shortage is one of the greatest threats to health globally, but governments are not giving it the attention it deserves.”
In the UK, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) also highlighted the problem of nursing shortages. Polling conducted by YouGov showed that the public believe nurses make the biggest contribution to society – 16% of respondents selected the nursing profession as having the biggest contribution, followed by doctors (12%) and teachers (12%). However, seven in 10 (70%) of the public think there are too few nurses to provide safe care to patients. With a shortage of tens of thousands of nurses in the UK, more than a quarter (28%) of the public are most concerned that they may not get the care that is required when needed. Nearly a fifth (19%) are most concerned there may not be enough nurses to help with treatment, while more than one in 10 people (13%) are most concerned that care might not be of a safe standard. The RCN called for safe staffing to be addressed by both safe staffing legislation, as well as comprehensive and fully funded workforce plans.
Ultimately, action is needed to support,
retain, recruit and reward nursing staff, if healthcare systems are to recover from the impact of the pandemic. This year, International Nurses Day offered an opportunity to discuss the way forward and set out the challenges that must be addressed. Governments must now listen and take action. To download this must-read report, visit:
https://www.icn.ch/publications
Louise Frampton l Editor
louiseframpton@stepcomms.com
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