Claire Wilson
HEALTH officials in Guernsey are targeting Spanish nurses in a new recruitment drive to address a shortage of specialist nurses.
They are looking to hire orthopaedic and critical care nurses to work in the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, and will hold interviews in Madrid next month.
The move comes following the closure of a surgical ward in the hospital last December due to a shortage of qualified nurses.
Applicants must hold an NMC registration, have six months experience in orthopaedic, surgical or critical care nursing, and speak fluent English.
Those who are successful will receive a €3500 bonus after two years, and a further retention payment of €1200 thereafter.
They will also have the opportunity to study for a degree on the island.
It is hoped the recruitment drive will help boost the morale of health workers in the hospital, which has been subject to brutal spending cuts over the past 12 months.
As a result, many nurses have been taken out of their comfort zones, working on unfamiliar wards, and subject to longer working hours.
Wonder what bribes are being offered to the stalwarts who are already working there?