Page 13 - World of Irish Nursing April 2018

18 NEWS

Pay Commission to survey nurses/

midwives on staffing difficulties

The Public Service Pay Com- determine recruitment and leaving the professions and Organisation and its mem-
mission is to carry out a survey retention issues. The Organi- promotions/specialisation bers. however, unless the
of nurses and midwives to sation is strongly of the view, roles are now resulting in base staffing levels of nurses
determine underlying difficul- that ample evidence exists in staff shortages in the front and midwives are correct
ties concerning recruitment the Republic of Ireland, which line or just qualified/junior before we start, we will be
and retention. This is in addi- demonstrates that there is a nurses/midwives making up a struggling with insufficient
tion to the detailed information crisis in recruitment and reten- large part of every ward/com- staffing levels, poor patient
and submissions already made tion of nursing and midwifery. munity roster outcomes, burnout of staff
by the INMO and other parties. “We further hold the view • For just over a decade health and continuous dependency
Questionnaires have not that this crisis is as a direct service management has con- on overseas recruitment into
yet issued for the survey. The result of continuous low tinuously shifted the sands the next decade
design of the survey, and struc- pay, and disregard for the in respect of staffing levels. • Until the pay of the nurse
tured interviews, are being basic principles of supply and Management has attempted and midwife is improved, this
carried out by Research Mat- demand, and poor workforce to dilute the skill mix with problem will continue.
ters Ltd to the Commission’s planning during the austerity little regard for the evidence The Public Service Pay
specifications, which require years,” said INMO general sec- that this leads to poorer Commission is an independ-
that the survey be undertaken retary Phil Ní Sheaghdha. patient outcomes and high ent body and the INMO
objectively and independently. In its submission to the Pay levels of burnout and resigna- obviously does not wish to
The Commission has advised Commission, the INMO set out tions among staff delay its work. The Commis-
that the process is being over- that: • There is ample evidence from sion has decided to undertake
seen by independent academic • All measures, apart from pay excellent research and stud- this research and has advised
advisers to the Commission improvement and pay equali- ies, both in Ireland and across that it intends to circulate this
(separate to the research) who sation, have been tried, tested the globe, that links reduced survey to 200 work locations in
are experienced in the field of and have failed to deliver an nursing/midwifery staffing the Irish public health service
research and surveys to further improvement in recruitment levels to poorer patient out- and survey nurses and from
ensure robustness and objec- and retention of nurses and comes and, in some cases, all grades from students right
tivity of the process. midwives catastrophic outcomes through to directors.
The INMO has raised con- • Retention of staff is a matter • We are now entering a This is a voluntary pro-
cerns with the Commission that affects nurses and mid- phase of expansion of the cess and it is hoped that this
in respect of the requirement wives throughout their career. Irish public health service information assists you in
to have, yet another, study to Senior nurses/midwives are which is very welcome to the answering.

AnnuAl DelegAte ConferenCe 2018

The ClayTon hoTel,
Silver SpringS, Co Cork
Wednesday to Friday, May 2-4, 2018

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s 99th Annual Delegate Conference will open on
Wednesday afternoon, May 2 2018 at 2.30pm, and continue on Thursday and Friday, May 3 and 4 2018,
in The Conference Hall, The Clayton Hotel, Silver Springs, Cork, Co Cork.

WIN Vol 26 No 3 April 2018

For any enquiries regarding annual Delegate Conference, please contact Michaela ruane, inMo hQ
at Tel: 01 6640626 or email: michaela.ruane@inmo.ie