International Nurses Day is celebrated on May 12th to acknowledge and honour the invaluable contributions of nurses worldwide. Despite the significant support nurses provide to others, recent findings from the NHS Staff Survey have highlighted the challenges they face.
Shockingly, two in five NHS staff members report experiencing work-related stress (1), significantly impacting their wellbeing. Additionally, only 56% of staff feel that their workplace offers fair opportunities for career progression within the NHS (1). These statistics underscore the pressing need for improvements in various aspects of the healthcare system.
However, there was a 2% increase this year in staff recognition (2), with nurses saying they felt more recognised for their hard work compared to the 2022 survey. Furthermore, 77% of the staff said they were satisfied with how their organisation values their work (2).
Why is Retaining NHS Workers Vital?
With 29% of young individuals contemplating leaving the NHS and considering alternative job options within the next 12 months (1), coupled with just 26% of nurses working across the health service saying they would recommend a job in the NHS (3), it’s evident that retaining staff is crucial for the NHS’s sustainability.
To overcome the challenges of staffing shortages, the NHS must prioritise strategies that enhance employee satisfaction, staff morale, wellbeing, and retention. By valuing and investing in its workforce, the NHS can establish a resilient and thriving healthcare system that delivers excellence in patient care.
Doctors, nurses, and countless other healthcare workers not only devote their lives to serving others but also consistently put themselves on the frontline to aid their communities.
Acknowledging the tireless efforts and sacrifices made by NHS workers by providing them with meaningful rewards and recognition is paramount. In addition to financial compensation, which is crucial considering the incline in the cost of living, there’s a massive need for gestures that demonstrate genuine appreciation for their work.
How can Each Person help make nurses feel seen and appreciated?
Each Person can offer various perks, such as discounts on both luxury (because everyone deserves a treat) and essential items, to lift some of the financial pressures NHS employees face. Our Each Person shop provides access to gift cards for popular retailers like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Amazon, all with great cashback of up to 20%, helping empower users to save while they spend. Our personalised Ecards feature means you can send in-the-moment recognition and share that you value their unwavering dedication with a personalised message in just a few clicks, either from manager to peer or peer to peer. Check out the latest Ecard our Brand team created to celebrate International Nurses Day.
But don’t just take our word for it!
We are proud to have partnered with West London NHS Trust since 2022, providing our cutting-edge reward and recognition platform to their 4000 dedicated employees. Our innovative solution has proven to be a game-changer, enabling us to give back to 9 NHS trusts across the UK with continuous recognition, appreciation and rewards for their hard work. We are thrilled to be working alongside these trusts and to be supporting the amazing work they do.
Deputy Director of Workforce Organisational Development Ali Webster says, “I would absolutely recommend Each Person to NHS professionals. I think the platform has transformed reward and recognition for our organisation. I’d recommend that other NHS Trusts start getting involved with this. It’s simple to use, and people love it, even if you’re not really IT savvy. What I love about it is people have bought into the concept quickly, it’s starting to change our culture, and if we could spread that across the whole of the NHS, it would be a better place to work.
We chose Each Person because I absolutely love it. For instance, when I an send Ecard to somebody to say thank you for a fantastic job, it’s just so easy to use when you get responses back, which I wasn’t actually expecting. It has made a difference in the company, and I find that they’ll actually send me a thank you card back to say thank you. The automated platform is our most significant benefit since introducing Each Person. It enables us to do more things for our staff, for example, birthday cards so we always remember their date”.
NHS West London’s Reward and Recognition Scheme: https://youtu.be/mjtDzKKel2c?feature=shared
Make sure your team feels cared for by putting their mental and financial wellbeing first, so everyone can look forward to a brighter tomorrow.
Want to learn more about how we can help with your rewards and recognition goals? Reach out to us at [email protected] or get in touch through our contact page here: https://www.eachperson.com/contact. We’d love to chat with you!
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References:
- The Kings Fund, 2024, ‘The King’s Fund responds to the latest NHS Staff Survey’ https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/press-releases/nhs-staff-survey- 2024
- NHS Employers, 2024, ‘Findings for reward and recognition in the NHS Staff Survey’ https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/findings-reward-and-recognition-nhs-staff-s urvey#:~:text=There%20has%20been%20an%20improvement,their%20organisation%20 values%20their%20work.
- Ella Devereux, 2024, ‘Only quarter of nurses would recommend working in NHS’ https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/workforce/only-quarter-of-nurses-would-recom mend-working-in-nhs-11-04-2024/