Examining the commuting habits of UK Nurses and Midwives
This research will use The Census 2021 England & Wales micro-data to compare nurses’ and midwives’ commuting distances with similar professionals; accounting for travel mode (car, rail, bus, walking/cycling), region (rural or city) and household factors (housing tenure, children in the household, unpaid care, and legal partnership status), enabling the groups with the longest journeys to be identified and provide outputs to policymakers to encourage new practical support. It builds on SCADR research work that has demonstrated that an increase in active travel through investment in infrastructure can improve people's mental health.
Research Focus
This study will initially analyse nurses and midwives data from the England and Wales 2021 Census;
- on where they live,
- how they travel to work,
- commuting distance
- their household factors
- their job circumstances (whether full-time or part-time, whether they work day or night shift etc)
We will look at differences of the sex, age and weekly hours worked by the nurses and midwifery group, and whether there is a direct link to their travel mode, for example,
- do those living and working in rural England always use their car, compared with those based in cities who use the bus
- those who actively commute do they live near their work, and is there bicycle pathway or a well lit pedestrian walking route available
- does a person's sex, age or socio-economic factors relate to their commuting patterns
- does the fact that this group work shifts affect their commuting choice
We will also examine how regional context and household factors (housing tenure, children in the household, unpaid care, and legal partnership status) relate to commute distance:
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We will compare nurses’ and midwives commute distance with the wider workforce.
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We will identify groups facing long commutes and how this varies by demographic context.
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We will assess implications for workforce policy and the scope for employer and transport policy support.
Objectives
This study will ask whether nurses and midwives in England and Wales travel further to work than comparable workers in the same occupational class (NS-SEC 4)
Analyse how close to their place of work that this group live, compared with other professions from NS-SEC 4
Analyse whether the shift patterns this group works, affects their mode of transport compared with similar professions that don't work shifts
Analyse whether this group being predominantly female, who may have other family commitments, affects their mode of transport
Looking Forward
By shedding light on how nursing and midwives travel to work throughout their early careers, this study aims to:
- inform local authority planning departments
- inform policy investing in new active commuting facilities for each region
- inform future transport policy
- review NHS shift patterns for this work
Data Sources
We will analyse 2021 Census Microdata (England & Wales) via the UK Data Service Secure Access.
