Real Time Location Services to support healthcare teams, as nursing applications drop within NHS
The number of applications to nursing courses at UK universities has fallen sharply according to the Financial Times This has prompted the Royal College of Nursing to call for emergency measures to boost recruitment and address NHS staff shortages.
Key statistics reveal that in England, nursing applicants to higher education providers numbered 24,680 in January 2024, down from 27,370 a year earlier and 33,410 in 2022. This reflects a 9.8% decrease in a year or 26.1% over two years. Across the UK, the overall number of nursing applicants, spanning all ages and domiciles, fell by 7.4% to 31,100.
These figures are unsurprising given the thousands of reported incidents of aggression, violence, and harassment in hospitals. This alarming surge in abuse is a ‘phenomenon affecting the entire NHS’, with care delays identified as the primary trigger.
The mounting pressure on nurses during and after the pandemic has now reached a boiling point, leading to a predictable decline in applications. Additionally, healthcare sector members, including nurses, have been participating in strikes, citing inadequate pay.
Despite nurses’ eagerness to fulfill their duties and provide care, the current capacity constraints, made worse by an escalating waitlist, hinder their ability to do so. Some nurses are now advocating for solutions like Real Time Location Systems (RTLS).
Navenio’s RTLS solution offers nurses and clinicians automated access to relevant information, enabling them to address the unique needs of each patient, quickly. At Navenio, our solution is designed to ensure the right person is in the right place at the right time.
We give nurses and other healthcare staff an improvement in their workflow, working with hospitals and ward managers to up capacity by up to 31%. This gives nurses the chance to provide the best care they can while helping with task overwhelm.
Find out more about our intelligent workforce solutions here. If you’d like to discuss this further, please contact us here.
