Statistics
2013 Health Manpower Survey on Registered Nurse
Key Findings
1. The registered nurses covered in the 2013 Health Manpower Survey (HMS) were nursing personnel registered in any part of the register under the Nurses Registration Ordinance (Chapter 164) as at the survey reference date - 31.8.2013.
2. The number of registered nurses covered was 34 510.
3. Of the 34 510 registered nurses covered, 15 053 responded to the survey, giving an overall response rate of 43.6%. Of the 15 053 responding registered nurses, 12 576(83.5%) were economically active*† (active) while 2 477(16.5%) reported to be economically inactive*‡ (inactive) in the local nursing / midwifery profession (See Chart).
4. Of the 12 576 active registered nurses, 12 351(98.2%) were practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession, 126(1.0%) were seeking jobs in the local nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey, 41(0.3%) had not been available for work because of temporary sickness and 58(0.5%) believed that work was not available, were waiting to take up a new job, expecting to return to their original jobs or starting business at subsequent date in the local nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey.
5. The survey findings presented below were based on the 12 351 responding registered nurses who were practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession as at 31.8.2013. As some questionnaires had missing responses, percentages presented below may not add up to 100%.
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(i) |
(i) 34 registered nurses did not indicate sex. Among the remaining 12 317 active registered nurses enumerated, 1 505(12.2%) were male and 10 812(87.8%) were female, giving an overall sex ratio 13.9 (males per 100 females). 379 registered nurses did not indicate age and the median age of the remaining 11 972 active registered nurses enumerated was 42.0 years. |
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(ii) |
(ii) Distribution by sector of the main job§ showed that 8 432(68.3%) were working in the Hospital Authority, followed by 2 078(16.8%) in the private sector, 901(7.3%) in the Government and 902(7.3%) in the academic & subvented sectors. |
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(iii) |
(iii) 19.4% spent most of their working time on medicine, followed by 14.7% on surgery, 7.1% on ambulatory / outpatients, 6.7% on paediatrics, 6.7% on geriatric, 6.6% on administration / management, 5.7% on obstetrics, 5.6% on public health and 5.5% on mental health / psychiatric / addiction treatment. |
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(iv) |
(iv) The median number of hours of work (excluding meal breaks) per week of the 12 351 active registered nurses enumerated was 44.0 hours. 1 081(8.8%) registered nurses were required to undertake on-call duty (excluding normal duty), with a median number of 14.0 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week. |
6. Among the 2 477 inactive registered nurses (See Chart):-
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(i) |
472 registered nurses reported practising overseas and 13 reported practising in the Mainland. |
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(ii) |
1 992 registered 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: 809(40.6%) were retired, 481(24.1%) were engaged in household duties, 407(20.4%) were working in other professions and 213(10.7%) wanted to take a rest / had no motive to work / had no financial need, etc. |
* In the survey, the criteria used in defining economically active / inactive followed those recommended by the International Labour Organization, which are also being used by the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong.
† "Economically active" registered nurse comprised all "employed" and "unemployed" registered nurses. "Employed" registered nurse referred to those registered nurses practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, while "unemployed" registered nurse referred to those registered 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" registered nurse comprised the responding registered nurses 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 registered nurses had spent most of their working time.
| Activity Status of Registered Nurses Covered |
| Notes﹕ | * | Figure refers to the number of responding registered 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 registered 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) believed that work was not available, were waiting to take up a new job, expecting to return to their original jobs or starting business at subsequent date in the local nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey. | |
| § | Figure refers to the number of responding registered nurses who reported emigrated, undertaking study, etc. Percentage may not add up to 100% due to rounding |