ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the working patterns, working hours and contracts of registered nurses, based on recent survey data. Conventionally, most nurses in employment have been employed on permanent employment contracts, with nurse bank and agency work being the 'traditional' temporary alternatives. However, mirroring general labour market changes, there has recently been an increase in the use of fixed-term contracts of employment. The response from these trusts suggested that fixed term contract employment for qualified nurses was on the increase and was set to grow further. Part-time working has been a traditional way of working for nurses. The provision of opportunities for part-time working, to improve recruitment and retention, has been a recurring theme in nursing for many years. The number of weekly contracted hours worked by part-time nurses varied across the three main employment sectors, with part-time National Health Service nurses contracted to work slightly more hours.
