The NHS Plan: nurse satisfaction, commitment and retention strategies.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Management
• Nursing Workforce Studies
• Healthcare Policy Analysis

Background:

• The National Health Service (NHS) Plan aims to transition to a patient-centered model with significant investment.
• A key component is increasing the nursing workforce by 20,000 by 2004.
• Nurse retention is critical for the success of this healthcare reform.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of the NHS Plan's nurse recruitment and retention targets.
• To understand nurses' perceptions of retention strategies.
• To propose a framework for addressing nurse satisfaction, retention, and patient care.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving 124 nurses across four London hospitals.
• Analysis of nurse satisfaction, commitment, and intention to leave.
• Comparison of nurses' preferred retention strategies with NHS Plan proposals.

Main Results:

• Only 57% of nurses are considered 'core loyals' to the profession.
• 12% of nurses intend to leave their current roles.
• A significant portion of nurses are susceptible to leaving due to poor working conditions or inadequate pay.

Conclusions:

• The findings challenge the success of the NHS Plan's nurse staffing goals.
• Current nurse retention levels pose a significant risk to the Plan's objectives.
• An integrated approach focusing on working conditions is essential for nurse recruitment and retention.