Only around 1 in 8 nurses, midwives, and nursing associates in the UK would recommend a career in their profession, a national survey has found.

Just 12% said they would encourage others to join the profession, despite 58% reporting that they were satisfied in their current roles.

The findings come from the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC's) professionals survey of 37,961 registrants, conducted in March and April last year. Most respondents (91%) were nurses, and 26% were aged 56-65.

Harassment, Bullying, and Discrimination

Seven in 10 respondents (71%) said they had experienced harassment, bullying, or abuse in the past year.

Members of the public were the commonest perpetrators (58%). However, incidents involving colleagues (41%) and managers (35%) were also reported. Nearly half of those affected (46%) said the incident was not reported.

The survey found that 40% of respondents had experienced discrimination, most often linked to ethnicity or age. This was more common among internationally educated professionals (53%) than those trained in the UK (35%).

The public, colleagues, and managers were reported to be equally likely sources of discriminatory behaviour. 

The NMC said the findings were particularly concerning given that the nursing register is “more ethnically diverse than ever,” with Black, Asian, and minority ethnic nurses, midwives, and nursing associates now accounting for about a third of the workforce.

“Our findings are a stark reminder of the urgent need to tackle unacceptable behaviours that drive people out of work they love,” said Emma Westcott, NMC executive director of strategy and insight.

“A zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, bullying, and harassment is needed across the sector,” she added.

Patient Safety and Care Risk

Around a quarter of respondents said they were struggling with their workload. Many reported being unable to cope each week and frequently working beyond their contracted hours, particularly midwives.

Almost a third of respondents (32%) — including 45% of midwives — said they had witnessed situations where patient safety or care was compromised.

These incidents were often linked to inadequate staffing levels and excessive workload pressures, which were also cited as key drivers of job dissatisfaction and barriers to delivering safe, effective, and compassionate care.

“This report shows the dashboard is flashing red for a workforce drowning under unmanageable workloads, unsafe staffing levels within toxic environments,” said Lynn Woolsey, chief nursing officer at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

With patient safety being compromised and burnout risks rising, it was unsurprising that so few professionals would recommend nursing as a career, she said.

Why Many Still Stay

Respondents who said they were satisfied in their roles cited making a difference to people’s lives and positive relationships with patients and colleagues as key motivators.

Higher levels of satisfaction were reported among professionals aged 66 and over, those educated outside the UK and EU/EEA, Asian and Black professionals, and those newly registered.

“It’s encouraging that a majority of the professionals on the register remain energised by the most positive aspects of nursing and midwifery practice,” Westcott said.

The findings come amid ongoing workforce shortages. In November last year, the RCN said there were more than 29,000 registered nursing vacancies across the UK NHS.

Its State of the Profession report found that four in ten respondents were considering or actively planning to leave their roles.

“Our insight suggests that employers who take their duty of care for our registrants seriously are more likely to retain their nursing and midwifery staff,” Westcott said.

Rob Hicks is a retired National Health Service doctor. A well-known TV and radio broadcaster, he has written several books and has regularly contributed to national newspapers, magazines, and online publications. He is based in the United Kingdom.