Over half of Nurses Feel They Have More to Give

Dec. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- Over half of Britain’s nurses feel they have more to give in their career in order to reach their full potential.

Amid increasingly positive economic signals, Britain’s nurses are showing they are not prepared to rest on their laurels. According to research by Randstad Care , the specialist recruiter, 55% of nurses feel they have not yet reached their full potential.

This ambition within the nursing sector comes despite the fact the industry has above average levels of professional fulfilment compared to other sectors in the UK. Nearly two thirds (65%) of nurses describe themselves as professionally fulfilled – above the UK average of 62%.

Victoria Short, managing director of Randstad Care, said: “Despite challenges in the NHS, nurses still have above average levels of professional fulfilment. What is even more encouraging though is that despite being one of the most fulfilled sectors in the UK, those working in care have the ambition to advance even further.”

Being the best that you can be


Support from your employer is seen by nurses as the most important factor in helping you achieve your potential. Over two fifths of nurses (41%) feel that training, development, good leadership and culture are key to success. This is some way above the proportion of the working population as a whole (38%) who feel the same and shows how much emphasis the health care industry places on training provided by your employer in terms of career development.

Personal characteristics are seen as the second most important influence on achieving your potential. Two fifths (40%) of staff in the sector feel this is the case.

Determination is viewed as the most important personal characteristic by almost three quarters (72%) of nurses. A strong work ethic is seen as the next most important character trait (65%) if you are to achieve your potential, while the ability to identify and understand your strengths and weaknesses is viewed as the third (63%).

Victoria Short, said: “The characteristics seen as key to achieving your potential in care strongly reflect the sector itself. Determination is of paramount importance, along with the desire to work hard. However, being able to identify your strengths and weaknesses are essential. Particularly when the quality of care is at state.”

Roadblocks to success


Across the UK workforce as a whole, your individual characteristics are seen as being both the key to achieving your potential at work as well as the most likely roadblock to your success. More than a third (36%) of Britain’s most fulfilled staff say that it is the individual themselves who provides the biggest barrier to reaching their potential.

In contrast, nurses view their employer as the key factor in making or breaking their success. A substantial proportion (59%) of nurses view employers as the biggest roadblock compared to just over a third (35%) who see it as the individual. Half (50%) of nurses believe a lack of passion in what you are doing might prevent you from reaching your full potential.

Victoria Short, said: “Nurses often rely on their employers to support their training and development. If this support is not forthcoming it can be difficult for staff to develop further. In addition, many regard nursing as a calling and if the passion to help others is not there, it will be very difficult for staff to progress and gain fulfilment.”

“It is vital that anyone who hopes to achieve more in their professional life understands what will help them do so and what may provide a barrier. And who better to glean this advice from than those who understand what fulfilment and success means to them and how they can continue to achieve it in the future.”

Randstad recently launched the How I Became platform, inspired by the real stories of real people who are fulfilled at work. The platform contains films from people who work in a range of business sectors, from education to finance providing key pieces of advice designed to help future candidates on their path to professional fulfilment.  The hub is designed to be a dynamic place to find career boosting advice.

Victoria Short, said: “Those with the passion and purpose to drive their career forward and reach their potential have a lot to offer others who may feel at a crossroads in their professional lives. We believe in helping people find fulfilment at work which is why we have set up the How I Became platform in order for real people to share their experiences and advice. We invite anyone keen to pass on their thoughts on how to achieve fulfilment at work to visit the site and share their experiences.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

Randstad Care (http://www.randstad.co.uk/care/) is part of the Randstad group, one of the leading recruitment & HR services providers in the world with a top five position in the UK and a top three position in fifteen countries including the US, France and Germany.

In the UK, Randstad’s business lines serve the public and private sectors across Accounting and Financial services; Business Support; Construction, Property and Engineering; Education; Health and Social Care; Interim Management and Search; Human Resources; IT; Legal; Retail; Sales, Student and Worker Support and In-House and Managed Services.

At the end of 2012, Randstad had 1,750 corporate employees in the UK, working in 203 locations. UK revenue in 2012 was €799 million. Randstad Holding nv was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Diemen, the Netherlands and listed on the NYSE Euronext Amsterdam. For more information see www.randstad.co.uk  and www.randstad.com.

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