2009 Health Manpower Survey on Enrolled Nurse
Key Findings
1. The enrolled nurses covered in the 2009 HMS were nursing personnel enrolled in any part of the roll under the Nurses Registration Ordinance (Chapter 164) as at the survey reference date - 31.8.2009 and had to renew their practising certificates in 2009.
2. The number of enrolled nurses covered was 7 086.
3. Of the 7 086 enrolled nurses covered, 4 347 had responded to the survey, giving an overall response rate of 61.3%. Of the 4 347 responding enrolled nurses, 3 719 (85.6%) were economically active*† (active) while 628 (14.4%) reported to be economically inactive*‡ (inactive) in the local nursing / midwifery profession (See Chart).
4. Of the 3 719 active enrolled nurses, 3 634 (97.7%) were practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession, 39 (1.0%) were seeking jobs in the local nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey, 34 (0.9%) reported as having temporary sickness and 12 (0.3%) were believing no work available, expecting to return to their original jobs or waiting to take up new job in the local nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey.
5. The survey findings presented below were based on the 3 634 responding enrolled nurses who were practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession as at 31.8.2009. As some questionnaires contained missing information, percentages presented below might not add up to 100%.
| (i) | 29 active enrolled nurses did not indicate their sex. Among the remaining 3 605 active enrolled nurses enumerated, 224 (6.2%) were male and 3 381 (93.8%) were female, giving an overall sex ratio 7 (males per 100 females). 80 active enrolled nurses did not indicate the age and the median age of the remaining 3 554 active enrolled nurses enumerated was 46.0 years. |
| (ii) | Distribution by sector of the main job§ showed that 1 750 (48.2%) were working in the Hospital Authority, followed by 1 054 (29.0%) in the private sector, 528 (14.5%) in the subvented sector, 268 (7.4%) in the Government and 14 (0.4%) in the academic sector. |
| (iii) | 23.2% spent most of their working time on residential care, followed by 16.1% on medicine, 12.0% on ambulatory / outpatients, 10.5% on surgery, 9.1% on mental health / psychiatric / addiction treatment, 6.5% on rehabilitation, 4.0% on public health, 3.7% on working as visiting nurse and 3.1% on paediatrics. |
| (iv) | The median number of hours of work (excluding meal breaks) per week of the 3 634 active enrolled nurses enumerated was 44.0 hours. 392 (10.8%) enrolled nurses were required to undertake on call duty (excluding normal duty), with a median of 9.0 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week. |
6. Among the 628 inactive enrolled nurses (See Chart).
| (i) | 84 enrolled nurses reported practising overseas and two reported practising in the Mainland. |
| (ii) | 542 enrolled nurses reported not practising in the nursing / midwifery profession in Hong Kong and not seeking job in the local nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey. The reasons reported for not seeking job included: 219 (40.4%) were retired, 142 (26.2%) were engaged in household duties, 102 (18.8%) were working in other professions, 53 (9.8%) wanted to take rest / having no motive to work / having no financial need, etc. |
* In the survey, the criteria used in defining economically active / inactive are followed those recommended by the International Labour Organization, which are also being used by the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong.
† “Economically active” enrolled nurse comprised all “employed” and “unemployed” enrolled nurses. “Employed” enrolled nurse referred to those enrolled nurses practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, while “unemployed” enrolled nurse referred to those enrolled nurses who (a) were not practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey and (c) had sought work in the nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey.
‡ “Economically inactive” enrolled nurse comprised the responding enrolled nurse who were not practising in the nursing / midwifery profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, but excluding those who had been on leave during the survey period and those who were “economically active” but “unemployed”.
§ Main jobs referred to the jobs in which the enrolled nurses had spent most of their working time.
| Activity Status of Enrolled Nurse Covered |
| Of the 7 086 enrolled nurses covered, 4 347 (61.3%) had responded to the survey, while the remaining 2 739 (38.7%) had not responded. Among the respondents, 3 719 (85.6%) were active in the local nursing / midwifery profession whereas 628 (14.4%) reported to be inactive in the local nursing / midwifery profession. Among the 3 719 active enrolled nurses, 3 634 (97.7%) were practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession, 39 (1.0%) (a) were not practising in the nursing / midwifery profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey, 34 (0.9%) reported as having temporary sickness and 12 (0.3%) (a) were not practising in the nursing / midwifery profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had not been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) were believing no work was available, expecting to return to their original jobs or waiting to take up new jobs in the local nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey. Of the 628 inactive enrolled nurses, 84 (13.4%) reported practising overseas and two (0.3%) reported practising in the Mainland and 542 (86.3%) reported not practising in the nursing / midwifery profession in Hong Kong and not seeking job in the local pharmacy profession during the 30 days before the survey. Of the 542 inactive enrolled nurses, 219 (40.4%) reported retired, 142 (26.2%) were engaged in household duties, 102 (18.8%) were working in other professions, 53 (9.8%) wanted to take rest / having no motive to work / having no financial need and the remaining 26(4.8%)* had other reasons for being inactive. Note: * Figure refers to the number of responding enrolled nurses who reported emigrated, undertaking study, etc |
| Notes﹕ | * | Figure refers to the number of responding enrolled nurses who (a) were not practising in the nursing / midwifery profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey. |
| † | Figure refers to the number of responding enrolled nurses who (a) were not practising in the nursing / midwifery profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had not been available for work during the seven days before the survey, and (c) were believing no work available, expecting to return to their original jobs or waiting to take up new job in the local nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey. | |
| ‡ | Figure refers to the number of responding enrolled nurses who reported emigrated, undertaking study, etc. | |
| Percentage may not add up to 100% due to rounding. |
Department of Health
The Government of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region
20 July 2010