850 new nursing jobs to be created in Irish hospitals

There is currently an overcrowding crisis.

A €25 million investment is set to see over 850 new nursing posts created in Irish hospitals over the next year. The plans are expected to be announced by the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, today in the hopes of reducing the impact of overcrowding in hospitals. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has been warning that the issue is posing a danger to patients and staff if it is not dealt with soon. In a survey by the INMO, increased pressure has been put on nurses in Ireland due to understaffing and the results of this were published during their annual delegate conference on Wednesday. It found that 89% of respondents said they felt somewhat of burnout as a result of work. Two-thirds of those surveyed said that inadequate staffing levels now pose a risk to patient safety and 85% said that the staffing levels at the moment are not meeting the demands of the workload. Minister Donnelly said that he aims to build on the record recruitment seen in the last three years despite Labour's Health Spokesperson, Duncan Smith, not being in agreement. "This Government and indeed this minister have a track record of announcing funding for additional staff, or additional resources, but never actually meet their targets," he said, according to BreakingNews.ie. "So whilst we would love to see many more nurses hired into our health service and ensure they have safe workplaces, there is very little faith that the minister actually has a plan to follow through and deliver this."

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