Resolution: Overseas nurses

This resolution passed.

Members can view a recording of the debate here.

Nursing is a global profession which is strengthened by shared learning and experience. Overseas nurses have always played a vital role in improving the health and wellbeing of the UK population (NHS England, no date). Current NMC data shows there are 131,640 overseas nurses from 146 different countries on the NMC register – making up 17.7% of the workforce in the UK (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2021). This is likely to increase given the UK Government’s drive to address domestic workforce shortages through international recruitment (Department of Health and Social Care, 2022).

Many overseas nurses bring a wealth of diverse experience and extensive knowledge that is often not recognised by UK employers – either professionally or financially (Moyce, 2015). As a result, international nursing staff are often undervalued and experience fewer opportunities for career progression and promotion (Kapadia, 2022). This is compounded by a lack of ethnic and racial diversity in senior leadership roles (Kapadia, 2022), which can disenfranchise international nursing staff, who can also face discrimination, harassment and bullying (Moyce, 2015). RCN Wales has been campaigning to persuade the Welsh Government to take an all-Wales approach to developing and supporting overseas nurses, rather than letting this be a matter purely for the employer. This resolution calls on the RCN to develop a strategy to promote recognition of the knowledge, skills and importance of overseas nurses to the overall UK health system.

As outlined in the Nursing Workforce Standards (Royal College of Nursing, 2021), and the recently published NHS Education for Scotland’s Preceptorship Framework (2021), preceptorship is vital for all new registrants and should include nurses who have trained overseas and are newly qualified or have not recently practiced.

This resolution proposes a strategy is developed to set out: how preceptorship and pastoral care programmes can be improved for colleagues arriving to work in the UK; when it is appropriate to tailor preceptorship programmes; and how to align preceptorship programmes to local work placements and contexts to ensure a smooth transition.

The strategy should also include how to: capture and apply the unique training experiences and expertise of overseas nurses to strengthen UK nurses’ and students’ education and training; utilise and promote the leadership of overseas nurses with lived experience of navigating working in the UK; and improve continued professional development, access to funding and career progression of overseas nurses. It should also address how employers can guarantee dignity at work – free from discrimination – and support whistle blowers to uncover abusive practices. Finally, the strategy should set out how RCN education and learning strategies, policies and resources will be adapted to meet this need.

Reading lists for each agenda item can be found here.

References

Department of Health and Social Care (2022) 50,000 nurses programme: delivery update (policy paper). Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/50000-nurses-programme-delivery-update/50000-nurses-programme-delivery-update (Accessed 21 April 2022).

Kapadia D, Zhang J, Salway S, Nazroo J and Booth A (2022) Ethnic inequalities in healthcare: a rapid evidence review. Available at: http://www.nhsrho.org/publications/ethnic-inequalities-in-healthcare-a-rapid-evidence-review/ (Accessed 21 April 2022).

Moyce S, Lash R and de Leon Siantz M L (2015) Migration experiences of foreign educated nurses: a systematic review of the literature, Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 27(2), pp. 181–188.

NHS England (no date) Nursing workforce: international recruitment. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/nursingmidwifery/international-recruitment/ (Accessed 21 April 2022).

NHS Education for Scotland (2021) Preceptorship: A framework supporting nurses, midwives and SCPHN. Available at: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/42348/preceptorship (Accessed 21 April 2022).

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2021) Mid-year report: September 2021. Available at: http://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/reports-and-accounts/registration-statistics/ (Accessed 21 April 2022).

Royal College of Nursing (2021) Nursing workforce standards: supporting a safe and effective nursing workforce. London: RCN. Available at: http://www.rcn.org.uk/Professional-Development/Nursing-Workforce-Standards (Accessed 21 April 2022).