The UK public overwhelmingly believe nursing is the profession most deserving of gratitude this Christmas, according to a new survey of 2,000 people commissioned by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).
When asked for three professions that should get the biggest ‘thank you’ at Christmas time, 59% of people in the UK (60% in Cambridge) said nursing, 23 percentage points higher than care workers, which were acknowledged by 36% of respondents (39% in Cambridge).
A total of 34% of participants (26% in Cambridge) considered doctors to be among the three professions most deserving of festive gratitude, with 20% mentioning charity workers and 19% selecting teachers.
Dr Louise Jenkins, Head of the School of Nursing at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: “During the pandemic, we were reminded of how important healthcare professions are and people were keen to show their appreciation for the fantastic job NHS workers were doing under such difficult conditions.
“A few years later and even though life has returned to normal for most of us, these results show that the UK public still holds nurses in the highest regard.”
Around 100,000 nurses are expected to be working in the UK on Christmas Day alone this year.
The survey asked the UK public if they would sacrifice their own Christmas celebrations for the benefit of others, such as working in a hospital or volunteering for a community kitchen, and 38% of people in the UK said they would be willing to do so. This figure fell to 25% amongst those in the East of England overall. In Cambridge, the figure was 35%.
Dr Jenkins added: “While most of us will be enjoying the forthcoming festivities, nurses and other healthcare staff will be working hard to bring a little Christmas cheer to those who find themselves in a much less fortunate position.
“Our survey serves as a reminder to extend our gratitude to nurses and other healthcare professionals who continue to make significant sacrifices for the well-being of others.”
Survey participants also voted for their favourite fictional nurse or midwife, and the top places were dominated by Casualty and Call the Midwife stars.
Charlie Fairhead, played by actor Derek Thompson, who appeared in Casualty for 38 years and almost 900 episodes before the character retired earlier this year, came out on top, followed by Beatrix ‘Trixie’ Franklin and Sister Monica Joan from Call the Midwife. Sister Duffy, who appeared in Casualty until 2020, was fourth, ahead of stars from ER, Holby City and Nurse Jackie.
Both Casualty and Call The Midwife have special Christmas episodes airing this year.
A total of 2,000 adults from across the UK participated in the survey, carried out by OnePoll and commissioned by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), which is the largest provider in the East of England of graduates employed in the health and social care sector.
ARU runs undergraduate and postgraduate nursing courses at its campuses in Chelmsford and Cambridge, and at ARU Peterborough. To find out more about studying nursing at ARU, visit https://www.aru.ac.uk/study/subject-areas/nursing
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