As of 1 June 2024, there were 89,496 nurses and midwives registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), reflecting a 5 per cent increase compared with the same time period from the previous year. This is the largest number of registrants ever held by the NMBI.
A total of 84,213 nurses and midwives state that they are currently practising, with 76,054 of these in patient-facing roles. The data is based on the information collected by NMBI as part of the annual renewal process, which is compared annually in June each year and covers the 12-month period from 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2024.
This is the third year that the NMBI has published its State of the Register, and over this three-year period, the number of registered, practising, and patient-facing nurses has increased. Since the 2023 report, the number of practising nurses and midwives has risen by 6 per cent, and the number who are patient-facing has increased by 7 per cent.
Most divisions have experienced a rise in the number of registered, practising, and patient-facing nurses and midwives. The largest increase was in the number of registered general nurses (6 per cent), while paediatric and psychiatric nurses both saw a 1 per cent rise.
Although the overall number of registered intellectual disability nurses has declined slightly (0.2 per cent), the number of those practising and patient-facing in this division has increased. The midwives division also saw a slight decrease of 3 per cent; however, the number of those practising and patient-facing has increased.
There has been a 14 per cent increase in the number of new nurses and midwives joining the register each year, with 7,120 new registrants reported. The majority of new registrants came from non-EU countries again in 2024, primarily India (3,717), Philippines (828), United Kingdom (281), and Ghana (191).
Since 2023, there has been a 20 per cent increase in the number of advanced nurse practitioners and a 23 per cent increase in advanced midwife practitioners, while nurse prescribers have increased by 16 per cent, and midwife prescribers by 27 per cent. The number of public health nurses has also increased by 1 per cent.
NMBI President Dr Louise Kavanagh McBride said: “This report offers a comprehensive overview of the nursing and midwifery professions in Ireland and aims to inform positive change within the healthcare sector for the benefit of the professions and the public.
“The data in this report is essential to our stakeholders for future planning and provides insights into the emerging trends in the Irish healthcare system. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank our registered nurses and our registered midwives for their continued commitment and dedication.”
The State of the Register 2024 report is available for download on the NMBI website.
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