Nursing and Midwifery
This section provides information on the nursing and midwifery workforce in NHSScotland. The figures are sourced from Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS) and describe the numbers of staff assimilated to the Agenda for Change nursing and midwifery job family. Those staff not yet assimilated but where a nursing and midwifery staff group has been identified from their existing payscale are also presented. It is worth noting that if Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) have been assimilated to nursing job profiles under Agenda for Change they will be shown in this staff group.
The nursing and midwifery workforce is presented by location of service delivery and by field or patient group served, based on post descriptors. There is also a fuller breakdown for nurses working in the community. Information is available by band, age group, gender, contract type, NHS Board and region.
Throughout, information is presented as headcount, employments or whole time equivalent (WTE). WTE adjusts headcount staff figures to take account of part-time staff.
Information available includes;
- Staff in post (see publication report)
[1620kb] - Vacancies (see publication report) [1620kb]
- Students (see below)
- Clinical nurse specialists (CNS) (see publication report) [1620kb]
- Agency and bank nurse usage [410kb]
Nursing and midwifery is the largest staff group (WTE) in NHSScotland accounting for 42.28%.
Please see NHS Scotland Workforce Publication Report [1620kb] for full details
Students
The number of nursing and midwifery student intake decreased from 3,467 in 2009/10 to 3,454 in 2010/11. The number of students on conversion courses rose from 88 in 2009/10 to 89 in 2010/11. The number of nursing and midwifery students in Scottish Higher Education Institutions has increased with 10,384 students in initial entrant (pre-registration) training in 2011 compared with 9,936 in 2010. The attrition rate for students on diploma courses is 26.3% for 2006/07.
- Student intakes and students in training by trend - Last updated 29 November 2011
[40kb] - Student attrition rates on diploma courses - Last updated 29 November 2011 [330kb]
Clinical nurse specialists
Latest data available 30th September 2011 - last updated 29th November 2011.
A clinical nurse specialist is a registered nursing professional who has acquired additional knowledge, skills and experience, together with a professionally and/or academically accredited post-registration qualification (if available) in a clinical specialty. They practice at an advanced level and may have sole responsibility for care episode or defined client/group.
The number of clinical nurse specialists at 30th September 2011 is 2147.8 (WTE) which is a decrease of 22 (WTE) from 30th June 2011.
- Clinical nurse specialists staff in post - Last updated 29 November 2011 [6.8mb]
List of historic (pre agenda for change) tables - information presented by old whitley staff groups.
