Recruitment crisis: what would make nursing more attractive to students?
Posted 15 August 2024 - 13:18
UK nursing student numbers accepted on to nursing degrees courses down, as nursing leaders call for more financial support to make nursing degrees an affordable option for undergraduates
Grants must be urgently increased so nursing students ‘can afford to eat’, a university programme leader said as figures show enrolments of UK-based students dipped to the level last seen in 2019.
A total of 17,690 UK nursing students have been accepted, remaining at a static level since last year’s intake of 17,700, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) data show, as students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their A-Level results.
That figure compares with 22,230 in 2021 and 17,910 in 2019, but rises to 18,450 once students from overseas are taken into account. Worryingly, no figure comes close to the 53,500 nurse education places promised by 2031-32 in the last Westminster government’s NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
Nursing degrees must be made more affordable
But with nursing degree places still available through UCAS clearing, Birmingham Newman University head of adult nursing Kevin Crimmons said the government needs to act to ensure nursing degrees are more attractive and affordable.
‘The government needs to urgently increase the grant to reflect the demands on our students. As well as completing 37 unpaid clinical placement hours a week, many need to work two additional healthcare assistant bank shifts just to be able to afford it eat and pay bills,’ he said.
Nursing students in England can receive £5,000 a year through the NHS Learning Support Fund and are required to complete 2,300 unpaid clinical placement hours to complete their course.
Mr Crimmons said: ‘The big inducement would be loans forgiven after they have worked three to five years in the NHS or social care immediately post-qualification. I’d also like to see a requirement for all NHS trusts to have a named executive responsible for ensuring students are truly supernumerary while on clinical placement.’
| Students* accepted on to UK nursing degrees | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | % change | |
| England | 14,010 | 13,870 | -1% |
| Scotland | 2,850 | 2,960 | 4% |
| Wales | 800 | 980 | 22% |
| Northern Ireland | 640 | 640 | – |
| UK overall | 18,300 | 18,450 | 1% |
| *includes UK and non-UK students |
Nursing degrees need to be backed by financial incentives for students
RCN England director Patricia Marquis said: ‘Ministers must introduce proper financial incentives to make nursing a more viable option for students. That must include government-funded degrees, universal living maintenance grants and action to improve pay and conditions for those who qualify.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘Bringing in the necessary staff will take time, but we are committed to training more nurses and will work closely with partners in education to do so.’
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