A significant increase in the number of undergraduate nursing and midwifery places is needed at Irish colleges in order to avoid even greater staffing pressure after this pandemic the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has warned.
The INMO has said that the Covid-19 pandemic is likely lead to a severe drop in overseas recruitment of nurses, whom make up a significant portion of the nation’s workforce.
Of the 3,700 nurses and midwives who joined the nursing and midwifery register in Ireland last year, 13% (183) had trained elsewhere in the EU, while 49%, (1,189) were trained outside of the EU.
To combat a predicted downturn in overseas recruitment, the INMO is calling for an increase in the number of nursing and midwifery positions available to prospective students, and a strong message against any recruitment moratorium.
“We must ensure that frontline staff are given the support and resources they need to do their job. To provide safe care, we need to build up our staffing levels,” said INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha.
“Ireland must continue to recruit staff from around the world, but also to train more ourselves. We train far fewer nurses and midwives than we need, but we know that thousands more want to join the nursing family.
“Over 5,000 motivated students put nursing or midwifery as their first preference in the CAO last year. We should ensure that more places are available to accommodate them.”
