A more international register means we need to support all our nurses

In May of this year, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2023) published its annual data report, which shares both the shape of the NMC register, and the results of key questions asked of registrants. As nursing leaders, these results give us valuable insight to consider current employer strategies, and future retention plans.

Overall, the NMC register of nurses, midwives and nursing associates has grown by 30 351 to a record 788 638 professionals on the NMC register – more than 1% of the UK population. With over 52 000 new joiners to the register last year, this is a tale of two halves: around 25 000 new joiners to the register who are internationally educated, and just over 27 000 domestically educated, which was an increase of 8.5% from last year.

The UK government has faced criticism for its ‘overreliance’ in recent years on international recruitment, as reported in The Times (Lay, 2023). However, international recruitment continues at a significant rate, with the NMC reporting that professionals educated elsewhere in the world now account for one in five nurses, midwives and nursing associates who can practise in the UK.