10 Amazing Facts about Nursing
The 12th May marks International Nurse’s Day and this year is the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.
Nurses are one of a kind and to celebrate their dedication to the profession, we wanted to share some amazing facts about the amazing nurses across the world.
1. The first Nursing School was established in India in 250 B.C.
At this time, only men were allowed to attend the school because they were viewed as more ‘pure’ than women. However, now women practically dominate the field! Statistically, only 11% of nurses in the UK are men.
2. Britain’s oldest hospital
Britain’s oldest active hospital is St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, which is commonly known as Bart’s. It’s an NHS Teaching Hospital located in the City of London and was founded in 1123. However, whilst being nearly 900 years old is certainly nothing to be sniffed at, it’s not the oldest in the UK!
In 2010, Archaeologists discovered what is known as one of the earliest hospitals named Harbledown, located in Canterbury. The hospital is said to be founded by Lanfranc in the 1070’s, following the Norman Conquest.
3. Florence Nightingale shaped the profession and healthcare
One of the most famous nurses in the world was a British woman, Florence Nightingale. Not only did she save the lives of many soldiers, but she revolutionised the way nurses were educated and how nursing as a profession was viewed by society.
Specifically, Florence Nightingale changed the way hospitals were sanitised, how food was prepared and served and how to treat wounded patients to prevent the spread of infection. In short, she transformed medical care here in the UK, and we’re still feeling the benefits of her influence today.
4. The Nurse Cap
The nurse cap you see on historical photographs is patterned after a nun’s habit to keep their hair neatly in place. Although this item of clothing has long been phased out, it is known to carry pathogens and some countries still use it as part of the female nurses’ outfit.
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5. Nursing is the most trusted professions in the UK for the fourth year in a row
A 2019 survey revealed that 95% of people said they trusted nurses the most to tell the truth in comparison to other professions, such as teachers and car salespeople for example.
6. There are over 70 types of nursing specialties available
Nursing is one of the most customisable careers you could pursue, as there are several types of degrees, certifications, job characteristics and specialties available. Some of the specialties include: travel nursing, wound care, diabetes nursing and medical-surgical nursing.
7. On average, nurses walk 4 miles a day
A recent study revealed that 146 nurses walked an average of 4-5 miles a day, during their 12-hour shift. To put this into perspective, the average UK adult walks a mile or less a day during the week.
8. There are over 700,000 people on the NMC Register
This amazing number includes nurses, midwives and nursing associates who are eligible to practice in the UK.
Last year, we saw over 8,000 nursing professionals join the register in just five months. To compare to the previous year in the same period, there were only 3,000 new registrations – that’s incredible progress!
Furthermore, we also saw 6,157 nurses from all over the world relocate to the UK and join the NMC Register – thank you!
9. Last year, we saw 30,390 nurses accepted into university…
According to the UCAS, 2019 saw an increase of 6.1% of nursing course applications.
10. But there is a serious shortage of nurses
Despite the previous two facts revealing that more nurses are joining the register and more students are choosing to study nursing, UK medical organisations are still suffering a shortage of nurses. In 2019, the NHS had over 43, 617 nursing vacancies which was a record high and the reasoning is not because of the ageing population, but because there is a general shortage of nurses – and that’s a problem we’re actively trying to resolve.
Sign Up with ID Medical Today and We’ll Help You Secure A Job with the NHS!
When you register with ID Medical, you’ll be allocated a dedicated Recruitment Consultant who will support you every step of the way.
Once you have cleared your English language exams, we offer you the opportunity to interview with NHS clients across the UK which take place on a weekly basis and include a full OSCE training programme – guaranteed to support you in becoming a registered nurse in the UK. We can also provide access to our industry leading CBT training platform via the ID Medical School.
Our dedicated settlement team will then support you with every step of relocating to the UK including NMC registration support, arranging visas, finding accommodation and making travel arrangements for your arrival to the UK.
By joining us, you’ll receive:
- Reimbursement of your IELTS UKVI or OET exam fee,
- your visa application and immigration health surcharge fee paid,
- free flight to the UK and transfer from the airport,
- CBT exam fee paid,
- free accommodation on arrival,
- OSCE exam cost paid, NMC Registration costs paid,
- full OSCE training programme and a free mobile SIM card.
If you’re a domestic or international nurse or midwife, would like our support with relocating to the UK and joining either the NHS or a UK private healthcare organisation – please register your CV with us here. Alternatively, sign up with us today via the button below.
References
Nmc.org.uk. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/other-publications/nmc-register-data-march-19.pdf> [Accessed 12 May 2020].