253 additional nursing graduates secure posts across NHS Wales

More than 250 extra nursing graduates have found jobs across NHS Wales since the summer, after concerns that newly qualified nurses were being left without posts.

The Welsh Government said 253 graduates had been placed in roles following a Graduate Summit involving health boards, universities and NHS bodies over the summer.

A further 28 have either secured employment through other routes or are currently not available for work.

The Welsh Government said “sufficient vacancies” are available to support the remaining unallocated nursing graduates into employment.

All nursing graduates from Bangor and Aberystwyth universities have now secured posts, according to the Welsh Government.

In April, the RCN warned that financial pressures across Welsh health boards had led to vacant Band 5 nursing posts being frozen, raising concerns that newly qualified nurses would have no jobs to move into after graduation.

Health and Care Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor said: “I fully recognise how worrying the situation has been for newly qualified healthcare professionals waiting to start their careers.

“The progress we’ve made since the Graduate Summit shows what can be achieved, but there is still much work to be done, especially for midwifery graduates, and we remain committed to helping graduates into employment and retaining their skills within NHS Wales.”

Reform Wales’ shadow health spokesperson Benjamin Hodge McKenna MS welcomed the additional placements but said they “do not go far enough”, adding that the Plaid Cymru Government must guarantee newly qualified healthcare professionals the opportunity to start their careers in the Welsh NHS.

Mirain Breese, who graduated from Aberystwyth University in July, said: “I recently started working as a nurse at Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth, and I feel incredibly proud to be putting into practice the skills and experience I gained during my studies and placements.

“I began the course just as my youngest son was starting full-time school and returning to education and embarking on the journey to become a nurse while raising a family was challenging.

“Balancing academic work, clinical placements and family life was not always easy, but the support I received from the University, placement teams, fellow students, family and friends made all the difference.

“Being able to study through the medium of Welsh, close to home, was so important to me. To complete the course, qualify as a nurse and secure a local job caring for patients in my own community is something I am immensely proud of.”