A NURSING home is offering new nurse recruits a free holiday in the sun before they start work as it looks to find staff during a national nurse recruitment crisis.

Saint Cecilia’s Nursing Home in Scarborough offers the holiday plus a car, a £31,000 a year salary and other benefits in its welcome package for new registered nurses.

Managing director Mike Padgham said: “Recruiting good nursing staff is extremely tough at the moment – the hardest it has been in living memory - and you have to go the extra mile if you want to attract good applicants.

“At Saint Cecilia’s we think we have come up with a very enticing package, as well as the wonderful opportunity to come and nurse in the beautiful seaside town of Scarborough, where the quality of life is great

“It can be a stressful job and so we decided to offer our new nursing staff a free holiday in the sun before they start work, as part of our recruitment package."

“Nursing is a wonderful, rewarding and exciting job and people who work in the profession get a great deal of satisfaction from it."

Saint Cecilia’s is looking to recruit at least two new registered nurses to work at the home, which provides nursing care for up to 44 residents with acute and life-limiting illnesses.

It is launching a recruitment drive to coincide with this Saturday’s Care Home Open Day, when it will also host a party to mark the sixth annual celebration. The home will also be marking Care Home Open Day.