UK and Australia poaching Ireland's 'burnt-out' nurses

Hospitals in the UK and Australia are “aggressively recruiting” Ireland’s burnt-out nurses.

“We’ve a very serious problem with the UK aggressively recruiting our qualifying sick children nurses, particularly Great Ormond Street.

"Unfortunately, our conditions of employment are such that it seems far more attractive for our nurses to emigrate,” said Phil Ní Sheaghdha, the general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

A nurse, who spoke anonymously to the Irish Examiner, said ‘burn-out’ is leading her colleagues to work abroad.

“A lot of the nurses are burnt out especially the experienced nurses, that’s what I find saddest. I was just telling a colleague that we’re losing a senior nurse, very experienced and she is leaving to go and work in Dubai.

“She’s going to take home double her pay. She’s burnt-out. She’s working extra hours every day because she’s a senior nurse.

“You’re losing these key people that are really burnt-out. You’ve got the UK, Australia — they’re all fighting for these nurses.

"There’s a global shortage. They’re offering much better packages, wages, hours of duty, continual professional education. So when you’re burnt-out you start weighing up your life. You’ve got a mortgage to pay,” said the nurse.