Nurses said they would consider working part-time in supermarkets, pubs or undertaking admin work.
According to a new poll, one in six nurses is actively seeking work outside the healthcare industry.
A NursingNotes survey of 1,893 registered nurses in February 2022 found that 17% of nurses are actively looking for a second job outside of the profession to supplement their income.
It comes only days after ministers called upon the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) to award another real-terms pay cut for NHS workers. Only days later, MPs themselves were awarded a massive £2,200 per year rise.
Of those who said they were looking for a second job, a massive 97% admitted to often struggling to pay essential bills.
Nurses said they would consider working part-time in supermarkets, pubs or undertaking admin work.
The survey also revealed that around 20% of nurses are considering leaving the NHS altogether, having their sights set on the private sector or leaving the profession.
The majority of respondents blamed poor pay, poor work-life balance and a constant struggle to provide safe, adequate patient care.
Damaging for health.
Official figures suggest the NHS is already short of around 40,000 registered nurses across the NHS in England alone.
Nurses United UK told NursingNotes the figures were not a surprise. Anthony Johnson, the lead organiser for the group, said, “Nobody who works a full-time job should struggle to pay their bills.
“This Government should be ashamed that they have chosen to make nurses suffer and take on extra work to feed themselves and their loved ones.
“Working additional hours is so damaging for our own health but also the health of our patients. If we’re exhausted from yet another shift, on top of our busy clinical workloads, then how are we supposed to keep our patients safe?
“Our Code of Conduct invites us to escalate concerns when our patients’ safety is threatened.
Mr Johnson concludes, “It is why we must take action both politically, and in work, to say that enough is enough.
Heath unions have also condemned the proposed 3% rise as it fails to tackle workforce recruitment and retention issues.
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