NHS Direct and nurses—opportunity or monotony?

NHS Direct, the 24-hour telephone helpline providing information and advice about health problems, is available throughout England and Wales. It was envisaged as a nurse-led service presenting a new opportunity for the nursing profession. Free text comments from a postal survey of NHS Direct nurses revealed that a large proportion of nurses were happy with working in NHS Direct, and that it presented some nurses with the opportunity of a new and challenging role. However, a minority found the work monotonous and felt that NHS Direct is likely to face the challenge of staff retention.