The emergence of COVID19 exposed the need for the UK to recruit registered nurses to health and social care. The emergence also highlights the NHS nurse setbacks that need improvement. In the UK, the pandemic visited the NHS with vacancies in about 1 in 10 certified nurse vacancies, about 40,000 full-time equivalent nurses. Moreover, the UK’s adult social care had a similar number of vacant posts.
Thankfully, the Interim NHS people plan, and NHS Long term plan identified the need to recruit more nurses into the vacant NHS posts. And one of the boosting factors was the employee benefits of CPD, which informed recruiters about the professional development of concerned applicants.
Meanwhile, the agency had employed the pre-COVID19 strategy to gain more time to train and improve nurse retention, which triggered international recruitment.
Is Nursing the Most Sought-After Job in the UK?
It is not surprising that medical professionals are the most demanded professionals currently. 4.32% of jobs were for registered nurses advertised on Glassdoor UK. The first wave of the pandemic pressured the NHS to find more trained medical staff to contain the pandemic.
Meanwhile, following Glassdoor, the average base pay of a registered nurse is £34,550 in the UK. The average base salary is estimated using 1494 salaries submitted by Nurse employees on Glassdoor.
Isn’t Nursing Working Hours Tight?
The hospital employs shift work involving regular unsocial hours. In other locations, there’s a scope of 9 am to 5 pm working as a nurse in industry and commerce units and not only the community and specialist units and clinics.
Most adult nurses work a regular 37.5 hours per week. Also, training opportunities and career breaks may be available. With development programmes such as CPD, nurses learn to manage their profession better.
How People Are Making the Most of the Benefits of CPD to Secure Nursing Jobs
The importance of CPD can’t be overemphasised, and CPD is critical for nurses and nursing support staff.
The benefits of CPD include learning advancement, which enhances nurses’ skills and knowledge to adapt to the vital healthcare industry. Of course, nursing is critical in any organisation and country at large to manage health situations.
Moreover, continuing professional development helps registered nurses to remain trendy with modern changes, discoveries, and the latest social healthcare developments. Staying up to date is considered significant in a nurse’s professional life and a fundamental duty to help handle patients encountered daily.
Another CPD benefit is the ease of objectives employed by nurses in their profession. The training facilitates nurses with the knowledge to ensure workplace wellbeing and safety.
Lastly, CPD is designed to aid regulators, including medical associations and professional bodies, to identify efficient job standards and recommend guidelines. Understand that CPD training is not restricted to nurses alone, but also to health policymakers.
CPD Activities Designed for Nurses
It is important for nurses and nursing support staff to undertake participatory and non-participatory learning, which are types of continuing professional development.
Participatory learning involves one or multiple professionals with activities relevant to nursing. Also, participatory learning includes participating in clinical workshops, attending conferences and seminars. The participants may not necessarily be in the same physical environment.
A virtual environment involving online discussion and learning groups may suffice, especially concerning social distancing, the new normal.
Regarding non-participatory learning, nurses and nursing support staff can learn in isolation. It does not require member interaction, and it typically involves reading, reviewing publications, and e-learning.
Reason for the Surge in Registered Nurse Demand in the UK
Following the earlier survey mentioned in this article, the demand for nurses and other medical staff was stronger than other posts, including hotels and catering, etc. The demand for nurses over other workers reflected the COVID report and how hospitality sectors had to close down due to the pandemic and lockdown orders.
Currently, permanent hiring is experiencing pretty modest growth, reflecting the departure of Britain from the EU and present headwinds from the pandemic. The surge follows increased business activities and a confident market improvement, especially following the news about reliable vaccines.
In the light of professional activities to manage COVID and stabilise the economy, CPD takes centre stage in demand for nurses in the health sector. The apparent reason is incited by how professional training ensures high standard staff training to manage the pandemic away from potentially dreadful new waves.
The significant importance of continuing professional development is that the standard of nurses and their professional activities remain consistent. Moreover, employers and medical associations trust the teachings of CPD to be verified and accurate.
Final Thoughts
Reliable professional bodies think that CPD is critical in maintaining competence and remaining trendy professional-wise. They believe that nurses engage in professional training programmes to keep up with medical breakthroughs, discover and employ best practices. In this regard, regular CPD training is crucial to registered nurses.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
