Nurses accuse HSE of reneging on commitments

NURSES have accused the Health Service Executive (HSE) of reneging on work commitments for the state’s graduate nurses.

Deputy general secretary of the Irish Nurses’ Organisation (INO), Dave Hughes, said the organisation had an agreement with the HSE that newly qualified nurses would have two years’ employment after qualifying.

“That’s very necessary, both in terms of the nurse getting the relevant experience to do the job better and the state getting a return on its investment,” he said. “We will also end up being short of nurses as a result,” he warned.

INO delegates attending their annual conference in Cavan will vote on an emergency motion today urging the organisation to engage with the Department of Health and attempt to overrule the HSE’s decision to stop employing this year’s graduate nurses. About 70% of graduates seek work abroad two years after completing their course.