This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Convention to tackle nurse recruitment
25/09/2001
A 'summit' to discuss ways to persuade people to join the nursing profession, and encourage existing nurses to stay, has been scheduled for November 19.
Health Minister, Susan Deacon, today announced the date and remit for the Executive's Nurse Recruitment and Retention Convention on tackling nurse recruitment and retention throughout NHSScotland.
The convention, will bring together key players in the nursing and midwifery profession - both from Scotland and overseas - to address long term recruitment and retention issues.
Announcing details of the Convention today, Ms Deacon said:
"The Scottish Executive greatly values the contribution which nurses make to patient care - both in our communities and in our hospitals. During the past year we have announced a range of initiatives to make better use of their skills, enhance their roles, and improve their working conditions.
"However, as I outlined during the NHS Human Resources Conference in June, if we want to persuade more new nurses to take up posts in NHSScotland - and encourage existing nurses to remain in the profession, then we must do more.
"The Executive alone does not hold all the answers. That is why this week we issuing invitations to a wide variety of people with an interest in the future of nursing in NHSScotland - directors of nursing, staff representative bodies, providers of nurse education and nurses themselves, to come along to our summit in November to discuss and investigate innovative ways of addressing recruitment and retention at all grades within the nursing profession.
"This Convention will be neither a talking shop nor a one-off event. Instead, the round table discussions will give all parties an opportunity to look at the key areas affecting recruitment and retention, and follow this up with the necessary initiatives to develop local and national actions towards achieving our shared objectives.
"If and where innovative measures have already proved successful in improving recruitment and retention in one part of Scotland, then we will want to hear about those approaches and how they can be applied elsewhere.
"We are also planning to invite speakers from elsewhere in the UK and abroad to discuss similar problems and strategies which they have put in place to boost and retain their nursing workforce.
"The Chief Nursing Officer and I are confident that by working together with the profession, through the Convention and beyond, we can and will build a stronger nursing workforce, where all staff feel valued and supported, in their vital role of helping us to deliver better health and better health services for the people of Scotland."
BACKGROUND
1. Ms Deacon announced the Executive's intention to host a 'nursing summit' during the NHS Human Resources Conference at Dunblane Hydro in June. The Convention forms just one part of a range of measures to improve recruitment and retention of staff -nurses, PAMs and doctors - in NHSScotland.
These include:
- first ever comprehensive Education and Training Strategy for the NHS
- tough new guidelines, produced by the service for the service, and backed by new investment to make our wards and practices safer and healthier places to work
- the launch of the Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery in Scotland, which will see more highly trained nurses and midwives taking on greater responsibility for changing and improving Scotland's health and health services
- the launch of Nursing for Health, A Review of the Contribution of Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors to Improving the Public's Health, and the associated creation of 80 new 'public health practitioner' posts throughout Scotland and improved training for 200 school nurses and health visitors to enable improved career progression for community nursing staff
- increased pay well above inflation for both doctors and nurses
- a ground-breaking three-year deal with other staff to support our lowest paid workers
- PAMs strategy currently under development
- and an increase in the number of trained doctors and nurses working in the NHS.
2. The nurses career journey from pre-registration, to first staff nurse post, to movement within grades and departments, to promotion and other career options will be used to help plan the day, particularly the workshops. This will help identify and highlight particular pressure points. In addition, the Convention will look at career breaks and return to practice, the predicted 'face' of nursing in five years' time - for example role enhancement, professional development, and specific problems in specialist areas.