New campaign encourages more men to consider career in nursing

A new campaign encouraging more men to consider a career in nursing in Wales has been launched.

Only around 1 in 10 of Wales’ nurses are men, a figure which has remained static for many years and is replicated in other parts of the UK. Of the 32,927 people working in nursing, midwifery and health visitor roles in Wales, just under 4,000 are male

Launching the ‘Train, Work, Live’ initiative yesterday, Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said as well as recruiting more nurses to Wales, he hoped the campaign would encourage more men to consider nursing as a profession.

The campaign, in its third year, will be fronted by Manchester-born Richard Desir. Richard, who works as a Senior Workforce Transformation Nurse in Gwent, moved to Wales with his family in 2007.

“After qualifying as a Registered Nurse in 1989 I worked in a variety of clinical settings in the north of England,” said Richard.

“Then I met my wife, who is Welsh and really wanted to raise her family in Wales. Moving to Wales to continue our careers here seemed the natural thing to do.

“Living in Wales is great from a career and family perspective. For people looking to try something new, come and see what Wales has to offer. I guarantee you won’t regret it.”

Train, Work, Live supports the Welsh Government’s long-term strategy for health and social services, A Healthier Wales.

Vaughan Gething, Minister for Health and Social Services, is hoping the campaign will continue to boost nurse numbers in Wales.

“This campaign has a really broad reach,” explained Mr Gething.

“We want to attract people who have been working in the nursing profession for years, as well as those who may be new to it. And even those who may have already left nursing but would consider returning to practice here.

“Wales has a huge amount to offer in terms of facilities and lifestyle and I’m keen that we use this flagship campaign to ensure that we have the healthcare workforce we need both now and for the future.

“I also hope Richard’s example will encourage more men to consider nursing as a profession. We want as many people as possible to see nursing as a rewarding and fulfilling career.”