- People across the UK say nurses are the top profession for their contribution to society
- However, seven in 10 say there are too few nurses to provide safe care
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) wants to start a national conversation about the “Best of Nursing”, as the public take to social media to share their appreciation of and support for nursing staff.
Polling conducted by YouGov shows that the public believe nurses make the biggest contribution to society, as 16% of respondents selected the nursing profession, followed by doctors (12%) and teachers (12%).
When asked what skills or qualities are most important for nursing staff to have the public said that skilled care and communication skills were among the most important.
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 Royal College of Nursing has continually called on governments across the UK to produce fully costed workforce plans that detail how many nursing staff are needed to meet the patient’s needs.
Today, the legislation and commitments towards safe staffing vary significantly across nations in the UK. The RCN has called for safe staffing to be addressed by both safe staffing legislation, as well as comprehensive and fully funded workforce plans.
When asked when they had experienced the best of nursing, respondents shared their experiences:
- “Throughout COVID they have worked relentlessly to care for patients when families couldn't be there.”
- “In a psychiatric ward I had a primary nurse who advocated for me and supported me in my toughest times.”
- “When I was in hospital for seven weeks with Covid, including two stays in ICU, every one of the staff was superb and I would not have survived without them.”
- “When I was in hospital with a broken ankle at the start of the pandemic. The care was amazing, including care from nursing assistants. Staff were regularly working 12 hour shifts without a break. Their standards, commitment and professionalism was 100%.”
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen said:
“The public knows that nursing staff go above and beyond in all they do for patients and those in their care.
“Our people always defend and champion safe patient care and that is what is being recognised on Nurses’ Day.
“It is on the public’s behalf that we remind politicians everywhere again today that a fully-funded workforce plan is a major step in keeping our health and care settings safe. They must begin to take responsibility for the current situation and turning it around.
“Today is a celebration of nursing staff’s clinical excellence, their personal compassion and genuine dedication. I encourage everyone to share stories on the ’Best of Nursing’, be it from hard working staff on our wards, in surgeries, in the community, in social care and everywhere else.”
Nursing staff have also been sharing their experience of the profession at its best:
Jesca Gudza, perinatal safeguarding lead in London, said:
“The best part is interacting with parents and seeing the difference you can make”
Catherine McLaughlin, a Newly Registered Nurse in Belfast, said:
“All nursing students give a lot to the workforce. We have a lot of challenges in nursing. If we work together and support each other, that’s how we’ll achieve change.”
Rohit Sagoo, founder of British Sikh Nurses in London who works with people experiencing homelessness, said:
“Many people think of nursing as ward-based, but we can think outside the box while using the fundamental principles of nursing and engage hard-to-reach groups.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
Nursing staff and RCN spokespeople are available for interview.
Find out more about the RCN’s #BestOfNursing campaign here. Supporters of nursing across the UK will use the hashtag #BestOfNursing to share their stories on Thursday.
Polling results
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,805 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 30th April - 2nd May 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
- Polling conducted by YouGov shows that the public believe nurses make the biggest contribution to society, as 16% of respondents selected nurses, followed by doctors (12%) and teachers (12%)
- 71% of respondents think nursing staff deliver the majority of care in the health and care system
- The public think that nurses in Britain help run and administer care in GP surgeries (69%), lead treatment in Intensive Care Units (61%) and co-ordinate the running of COVID vaccine programmes (58%)
- 70% of the public think there are too few nurses to provide safe care to patients
- When asked about concerns over the care that family and friends might receive, 28% of respondents were most concerned that they or their families may not get the care 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.
- Compassion (51%), skilled care (42%) and communication skills (29%) were ranked highest among the most important skills or qualities for nursing staff to have
