Statistics
2012 Health Manpower Survey
Summary of the Characteristics of Enrolled Nurses Enumerated
I. Types of Enrolled Nurses Covered
1.1 The enrolled nurses covered in the 2012 HMS were nursing personnel enrolled in any part of the roll under the Nurses Registration Ordinance (Chapter 164) as at the survey reference date - 31.8.2012 and had to renew their practising certificates in 2012.
1.2 The number of enrolled nurses covered was 7 250.
1.3 Of the 7 250 enrolled nurses covered, 3 042 responded to the survey, giving an overall response rate of 42.0%. Among the respondents, 2 466 (81.1%) were economically active*† (active) in the local nursing / midwifery profession as at 31.8.2012 and 576 (18.9%) reported that they were economically inactive*‡ (inactive) in the local nursing / midwifery profession (Chart A).
1.4 Of the 2 466 active enrolled nurses enumerated, 2 413 were practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession, 26 were seeking jobs, 16 had not been available for work because of temporary sickness and 11 believed that work was not available, were waiting to take up a new job or expecting to return to their original jobs in the local nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey. The survey results presented in paragraph 1.6 below were based on 2 413 responding enrolled nurses who were practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession as at 31.8.2012. As some questionnaire items had missing responses, percentages presented below may not add up to 100%.
1.5 Of the 576 inactive enrolled nurses, 72 reported practising overseas, four reported practising in the Mainland and 500 reported not seeking job in the local nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey (Chart A). Among the 500 inactive enrolled nurses who reported not seeking jobs, the main reasons reported for not seeking jobs included: 252 (50.4%) were retired, 105 (21.0%) were engaged in household duties, 76 (15.2%) were working in other professions, 48 (9.6%) wanted to take a rest / had no motive to work / had no financial need, etc.
1.6 Among the 2 413 active enrolled nurses enumerated who were practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession, 2 165 (89.7%) were in the general stream and 248 (10.3%) were in psychiatric stream.
* 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" enrolled nurses comprised all "employed" and "unemployed" enrolled nurses. "Employed" enrolled nurses referred to those enrolled nurses practising in the nursing / midwifery profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, while "unemployed" enrolled nurses 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 local nursing / midwifery profession during the 30 days before the survey.
‡ "Economically inactive" enrolled nurses comprised the enrolled nurses who were not practising in the nursing / midwifery profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, excluding those who had been on leave during the survey period and who were "economically active" but "unemployed".
Chart A : Activity Status of Enrolled Nurses Covered
| 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 nurse 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) believed that work was not available, were waiting to take up a new job or expecting to return to their original jobs 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. |
1.7 Three active enrolled nurses did not indicate sex. Among the remaining 2 410 active enrolled nurses enumerated who were practising in the local nursing / midwifery profession, 163 (6.8%) were male and 2 247 (93.2%) were female, giving an overall sex ratio (males per 100 females) of 7. Apart from 32 enrolled nurses who did not indicate age, the median age of the remaining 2 381 active enrolled nurses enumerated were 48.0 years. The median age of the active female enrolled nurses enumerated was 48.0 years and that of their male counterparts was 50.0 years.
1.8 The responding enrolled nurses were requested to indicate the characteristics of their main jobs*. Distribution by sector showed that the larger proportion (43.2%) of the active enrolled nurses enumerated was working in the Hospital Authority, followed by those working in the private sector (27.6%), the subvented sector (21.2%), the Government (7.1%) and the academic sector (0.4%).
| * | Main jobs referred to the jobs in which the enrolled nurses had spent most of their working time. |
1.9 The median age of the enrolled nurses enumerated was 55.0 for those working in the academic sector, followed by 52.0 years for those working in the Government, 49.0 years for those working in the subvented sector, 48.0 years for those working in the private sector and 46.0 years for those working in the Hospital Authority.
1.10 Of the 2 413 active enrolled nurses enumerated, 20.1% spent most of their working time on residential care, followed by 11.7% on geriatrics, 11.6% on medicine, 10.9% on ambulatory care / outpatients, 10.1% on surgery, 9.3% on mental health / psychiatry / addiction treatment, 5.4% on rehabilitation, 4.1% on working as visiting nurse, 3.8% on public health and 2.7% on paediatrics.
1.11 The median number of hours of work (excluding meal breaks) per week of the 2 413 active enrolled nurses enumerated was 44.0 hours. Among them, 229 (9.5%) were required to undertake on-call duty, with median number of 9.0 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week.
1.12 Of the 2413 active enrolled nurses enumerated, 97.4% had Student / Pupil Nurse Training, 1.0% held Higher Diploma and 0.7% held Bachelor’s Degree as their basic qualifications.
1.13 Of the 2 413 active enrolled nurses enumerated, 1 384 (57.4%) received / were receiving additional training. Of the 1 384 active enrolled nurses with additional training, 50 (3.6%) had not yet completed the additional training, 742 (53.6%) held Certificate, 221 (16.0%) held Bachelor’s Degree and 191 (13.8%) held Higher Diploma as the highest qualification.
1.14 Among those enrolled nurses who received / were receiving additional training, some of them selected more than one field of additional training. The total number of count of active enrolled nurses who received / were receiving additional training was 2 269, in which 15.3% received / were receiving additional training in general nursing, 11.9% in geriatric nursing, 8.4% in community health, 6.3% in emergency / first aid nursing, 5.2% in mental health nursing, 4.2% in hospice nursing, 4.0% in surgical nursing and 3.9% in nursing education.
1.15 Of the 1 384 active enrolled nurses who received / were receiving additional training, 903 (65.2%) received / were receiving training in one field. Among them, 21.8% were trained / receiving training in general nursing, 12.4% in geriatric nursing, 10.9% in community health, 7.4% in mental health nursing, 5.0% in EN to RN course, 4.2% in emergency / first aid nursing and 4.1% in hospice nursing.
1.16 Regarding Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) / Post-registration Education in Midwifery (PEM), 1 964 (81.4%) of the active enrolled nurses reported that they had participated in CNE / PEM in 2012, 381 (15.8%) did not participate in any CNE / PEM and 68 (2.8%) did not report whether they had participated in any CNE / PEM or not. Among the 1 964 active enrolled nurses enumerated who had participated in CNE / PEM, the distribution of CNE / PEM points / hours attained in the past 12 months was: 1 to 5 points / hours (14.5%), 6 to 10 points / hours (20.3%), 11 to 15 points / hours (17.2%), 16 to 20 points / hours (12.5%) and more than 20 points / hours (35.6%).
II. Trend Analysis
2.1 Comparison of findings of the 2012 HMS with those surveys before 2004 should be made with caution as the survey methodology and reference date had been changed.
2.2 Between 2000 and 2012, the number of enrolled nurses covered was in the range from 7 086 to 9 496. The proportion of enrolled nurses in the general stream remained stable (88.9% – 91.8%) between 1987 and 2012 (Chart B& Table A).
2.3 The sex ratio (males per 100 females) of active enrolled nurses enumerated ranged from 6 to 9 between 1987 and 2012 (Table A).
2.4 The median age of the active enrolled nurses enumerated increased from 31.5 years in 1992 to 48.0 years in 2012.
2.5 From 1987 to 1990, the largest proportion of active enrolled nurses enumerated worked in the Government and subvented sectors, which altogether accounted for about 80% and the remaining enrolled nurses worked in the private sector. Since its setup in 1991, the Hospital Authority has been the largest employer covering around 50% of active enrolled nurses since then. During the same period, the proportion of active enrolled nurses working in the academic and subvented sectors was at around 20%, and the proportion working in the Government was below 10% (Table A).
Chart B : Number of Enrolled Nurses Covered by Year (2000, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2012)
| Notes﹕ | * | As the 2009 and 2012 Health Manpower Survey only aimed at covering all enrolled nurses who had to renew their practising certificates in 2009 and 2012, enrolled nurses who did not need to renew practising certificate in 2009 and 2012 were excluded from the survey. |
| Figure of 2000 refers to the number of enrolled nurses enrolled with the Nursing Council of Hong Kong and who were holding valid practising certificates as at 1st July 2000, whereas the figures of 2004 and 2006 refer to that as at 31st August of the respective years and the figures of 2009 and 2012 refer to the number of enrolled nurses enrolled with the Nursing Council of Hong Kong as at 31st August of the respective years and had to renew their practising certificates in respective years. |
Table A : Selected Characteristics of Active Enrolled Nurses Enumerated (1987, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2012)
| Notes﹕ | * | Figure of 2000 refers to the number of enrolled nurses enrolled with the Nursing Council of Hong Kong and who were holding valid practising certificates issued by the Nursing Council as at 1st July 2000, whereas the figures of 2004 and 2006 refer to that as at 31st August of the respective years, the figures of 2009 and 2012 refer to the number of enrolled nurses enrolled with the Nursing Council of Hong Kong as at 31st August of the respective years and had to renew their practising certificates in the respective years. |
| † | As the 2009 and 2012 Health Manpower Survey only aimed at covering all enrolled nurses who had to renew their practising certificates in 2009 and 2012, enrolled nurses who did not need to renew practising certificate in 2009 and 2012 were excluded from the survey. | |
| ‡ | In 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2012 HMS, the sector refers to the sector for the main job. | |
| § | Academic was not included in the 1987 HMS to 1992 HMS. | |
| ║ | Military was included in the 1987 HMS. Academic was included in the 1990 and 1992 HMS. | |
| There may be slight discrepancy between the sum of individual items and the total due to rounding. | ||
| N.A. Not applicable | ||
| ‘-’ Not available |