ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book attempts to correct the misleading picture of the typical nurse as being young, female, single and unquestionably committed to a vocation as doctors' handmaidens. It provides a comprehensive overview of the dynamics of the UK nursing labour market and the profile of the individuals participating in that labour market. The complexity of the UK nursing labour market, with the growth of non-NHS employment, the high levels of job mobility, the changing career prospects and paths, and the ageing of the workforce have all been given detailed consideration. The history of nursing labour markets in Britain, and in other developed countries such as the US, is one of cycles of nursing shortages. Each shortage brings with it a horde of proposed solutions, some of which, independent evaluation strongly suggests, will have a beneficial impact.
