Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

NHSLatest NewsEmployer brandingLabour turnover

NHS England launches new nurse recruitment drive

by Jo Faragher 24 Oct 2022
by Jo Faragher 24 Oct 2022 Photo: Simon Turner / Alamy
Photo: Simon Turner / Alamy

The NHS is launching a major recruitment drive today (24 October) in a bid to fill tens of thousands of empty roles.

England’s chief nursing officer Ruth May today urged applicants to consider a “life-changing” career in nursing, citing figures that six in 10 people are looking for a career change this year.

Its ‘We are the NHS’ campaign will run a series of adverts across on-demand services, radio, social media and in cinemas. There will be two films featuring stories of patients during their time in hospital and how nurses aided their recovery.

According to NHS England, there are currently 46,828 nursing, midwifery and health visitor vacancies. May highlighted the strong employment prospects of pursuing a career in nursing, revealing that 94% of nursing degree graduates find a job within six months.

The number of applicants for nursing-related degrees has increased since the pandemic, rising by more than a quarter from 40,770 in 2019 to 52,150.

Nurse recruitment and retention

Nurses quit NHS England in record numbers 

Nurses take part in ‘biggest ever’ strike ballot over pay 

Key recruitment trends 2022: XpertHR survey

May said: “Nursing is a life-changing profession where no two days are ever the same, and I would encourage anyone with a passion for making a difference to people’s lives to consider a career as a nurse.

“From life-saving tests and checks and delivering millions of Covid and flu vaccinations, to getting people back on their feet as the NHS cuts 18-month waits and cares for the thousands of seriously ill patients in hospitals and across our communities, nurses play a vital role.

“As we approach the winter months and NHS services gear up to manage higher demand, it’s clear the difference that nurses make to the health service every day, and I urge anyone considering a career where they want to really make a difference to find out more.”

Last month an analysis by the Nuffield Trust found that more than 40,000 nurses left the profession in England last year, citing poor work-life balance, staffing pressures and feeling undervalued as some of the reasons.

NHS trusts are also under threat of strike action – earlier this month the Royal College of Nursing launched its biggest ever strike ballot. The RCN is seeking a pay rise of 5% above inflation.

Alongside the recruitment drive, NHS England today released the results of a new survey showing that eight in 10 people felt nurses had made a positive impact in their life.

May added that she was “so proud” to be a nurse in the NHS: “It truly is one of the most rewarding jobs you can do,” she said.

“From mental health to A&E, community and children’s services – there are countless roles, specialisms and opportunities across the nursing profession which all make an invaluable contribution to patients and the NHS and social care every day, so if you are considering beginning a career in nursing, I know we will have the right role waiting for you”.

Patricia Marquis, RCN director for England, praised the campaign but said it would be “futile until nursing staff are paid a fair salary”.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

She added: “Each and every day, nursing staff give everything they have to care for their patients but a decade of real-terms pay cuts means many can’t even afford to feed their children or put petrol in their car to get to work.”

HR opportunities in healthcare on Personnel Today


Browse more HR opportunities in healthcare

Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

previous post
‘Quiet quitting? It’s nonsense!’
next post
Settlement agreements cannot void future discrimination claims, EAT rules

You may also like

RCN warns Darlington NHS trust over single-sex spaces

16 May 2025

NHS Scotland staff accept two-year 8.2% pay deal

16 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Nurses threaten strikes if pay demands not met

12 May 2025

Jobs on the line across NHS trusts in...

9 May 2025

NHS worker awarded £29k after Darth Vader comparison

8 May 2025

Resident doctors to ballot for strike action

2 May 2025

NHS Lothian review finds ‘toxic’ work environment

2 May 2025

Public sector staff could be in line for...

28 Apr 2025

Call for better mental health support for NHS...

17 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+