 Four fifths of NI nurses surveyed said staffing was inadequate |
Most nurses in Northern Ireland feel staffing levels are not high enough to provide good standards of care for patients, a nursing body has warned. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Northern Ireland director Martin Bradley said the number of new registered nurses was below levels 15 years ago.
"We must ensure that improvements are made in the training, recruitment and retention of local nurses," he said.
A RCN survey of nurses in the province found 82% felt staffing was inadequate.
Mr Bradley was speaking as the RCN's annual conference began in Harrogate in England.
"Providing a fair level of financial support for nursing students, particularly those with child care responsibilities, would be an important step towards recruiting and retaining sufficient nurses for the future," he said.
The RCN has warned that the incoming government must put measures in place to double the number of nurses coming into the profession just to maintain existing staffing levels.
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