Why nursing numbers don’t add up

The nursing workforce is growing, but not fast enough. What does that mean for a profession that’s under increasing pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond? Special guest Professor Jane Ball, Professor of Nursing Workforce Policy at Southampton University, joins us to talk about how nursing can recruit and retain the numbers needed – and why the Government needs to go beyond its target of 50,000 recruits to head off a growing crisis.   Nursing Matters is presented by PNC chair Rachel Hollis and Dr Sue Haines. We’d love to hear your questions. Tweet them to @theRCN tagged #NursingMatters     • “Even before COVID we were desperately short of nurses… And when there’s fewer nurses, more patients die of avoidable conditions.” – Prof Jane Ball • “With the crisis in staffing we will need to create multiple routes into the profession.” – Sue Haines • “The system just doesn’t want to hear that it needs more nurses” – Prof Jane Ball     Presented by Rachel Hollis and Sue Haines. Audio production by Alex Rees. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Music: ‘Snappy’ by Jonathan Boyle under licence from premiumbeat.com. Nursing Matters is a Podmasters Production for the RCN.   https://www.rcn.org.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Welcome to Nursing Matters, the brand new podcast from the Royal College of Nursing. The pandemic is bringing out the very best in nursing – and reminding the public just how invaluable the profession is. What have we learned from this once-in-a-generation crisis? How can we use that knowledge to make the profession more effective in future? And what kind of new deal do nursing staff deserve after all their efforts? Every two weeks on Nursing Matters, we’ll bring together experts from the RCN Professional Nursing Committee along with some special guests to talk about what really matters to nursing. From inspirational innovations and pioneering practice to pay, conditions and health and care policy - we’ll look at it all. And we’ll stand up for nursing all the way. That’s Nursing Matters – available now wherever you get your podcasts. Nursing Matters is a Podmasters production for the RCN.