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We need more than a wing and a prayer

Article Abstract:

Nursing is becoming an increasingly unattractive career option, with many trained nurses leaving to work in commercial markets, such as banking. Newly-trained nurses work unsociable hours with heavy responsibilities on an annual salary of 12,000 pounds sterling, while entrants to other professions, such as teaching, earn nearly one-third more. UK Health Secretary Frank Dobson has pledged to increase the nursing workforce by 15,000, but this will be difficult to achieve without encouraging trained nurses back into the health service. Nurses should be offered more family-friendly, flexible contracts.

United Kingdom, Column, Social policy, Recruiting, Employment, United Kingdom. National Health Service

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Breaking the mould

Article Abstract:

The introduction of a common three-year training programme for all nurses in the UK would have a number of advantages over the current system of four main branches of registration. A generic registered nursing qualification would avoid students having to decide on a particular speciality early on in their career, leaving them free to undertake highly specialized courses after obtaining a basic qualification. As well as following the practice of other countries, a basic generic nursing qualification would overcome the problem of not attracting sufficient students to some of the specialist branches.

Cover Story, Nursing

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Unleashing the potential

Article Abstract:

Nurses working in the UK National Health service need to be assisted in developing their leadership skills. Although many nurses may have the potential to become good leaders the organisation in the NHS tends to discourage them. Nurses were trained to be submissive and the profession was controlled by a strict hierarchy. Reforms in NHS organisation, during 1989, abolished the hierarchies but the profession has not developed a different management style. New managers must learn to be more adaptable and energetic and be capable of managing change.

Leadership, Executive ability, Nurse administrators

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