Many countries are facing a nursing shortage, and the high demand for qualified nurses is encouraging more people to attend RN to MSN programs, as well as ADN to NP programs, from reputable universities, such as the University of Arizona.
One of the countries that is facing a nursing shortage is England, so if you are currently in school to become a nurse and you eventually want to live abroad, or if you are in England and you are in search of a secure career, nursing could be right for you.
Experts have anticipated that, in England, there will continue to be a nursing shortage for at least another four years. This news came after data revealed that there are still thousands of nursing and doctor positions that have not even been filled yet.
The NHS is facing a recruitment crisis that is escalating, and there simply are not enough people to fill the many job openings available to take care of all of the patients throughout England, especially with a population that is aging and with people living longer.
To understand the scope of the nursing shortage in England, you should look at the data that has been collected over time. In December of 2015, for example, the NHS in Northern Ireland, Wales, and England had over 23,000 vacant nursing job openings, compared to over 6,000 openings available for doctors.
This means that the vacancy rate for nurses is 10%, compared to a 2.7% vacancy rate for the general economy in England. But this data also showcases a sharp increase in the number of unfilled positions since 2013. Vacancies in the nursing field, in particular, went up by around 50%.
Research has also shown that 69% of the NHS trusts in England are now recruiting medical staff from other countries. Some are even traveling to areas like the Philippines and India in order to find qualified candidates who can fill the many job openings available.
Because the demand for qualified nurses has increased by 24,000 in the last three years alone, and there are still another four years of nursing shortages expected, finding the right staff will be imperative to provide the right level of care to patients throughout England.
If you are interested in working as a nurse in England, however, you should know that the shortage is greater in certain areas than others. For example, a 15% vacancy rate can be found in some areas in London, but in the south-west and north-west areas of England, there is only a 3% vacancy rate.
Again, England is not the only country facing a nursing shortage. In fact, it is really a global nursing shortage that the world is dealing with. So if you are hoping to go to school for a career that will guarantee you will be able to find plenty of job openings and a steady and well-paying position, definitely consider becoming a nurse.
