The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland leads calls for politicians to provide improved financial packages to support nursing students to complete their studies as the profession faces an ongoing workforce crisis.  

Nursing students and newly qualified nurses met with MSPs and senior nurse leaders in Edinburgh to discuss actions needed to help nursing students through university and entering the workforce.

MSPs heard from RCN Scotland members that the financial hardships they and nursing students students more widely face are having a ‘serious impact’ on mental and physical wellbeing.

Alongside concerns for mental and physical health in the face of financial difficulties, RCN members shared numerous stories of students considering leaving their academic studies due to financial pressures, which they said ‘struck a chord’ with attendees.

The event follows the publication of a survey of more than 1,000 nursing students in Scotland, which found virtually all are concerned to some extent about their finances.

Two thirds of survey respondents said they have considered dropping out of their course due to financial concerns.

Meanwhile, 74% said finances were having a high or very high impact on their mental health, and 48% on their physical health.

Chaired by RCN Scotland Director Colin Poolman, the roundtable participants also reflected on recent UCAS statistics which revealed a 14% drop in acceptances onto nursing programmes in Scotland for 2023 compared to 2022 – a five-year low.

Scotland’s Chief Nursing Officer and MSPs from Labour, the Conservatives and SNP joined the roundtable, hearing from students and RCN members, who shared their insights on the action needed to better support nursing students.

Among the Royal College's demands is a boost to the student nurses’ bursary and a new clinical placement expenses process.

RCN Scotland has urged the government to improve the financial package and establish a regular review of support to ensure it aligns with the cost-of-living crisis.

Lou Hyett-Collins, a student at the University of the Highlands and Islands and one of Scotland’s members on the RCN Student Committee, said without significant action from the Scottish government, the current and future nursing workforce is under threat:

“The nursing student voice came through loud and clear at today’s meeting with many powerful stories shared.

“Applications to nursing courses have dropped alarmingly so that not all places on university courses were filled last year and acceptances onto courses this year are at their lowest level for five years. A fair financial package has never been more important to encourage more people to study nursing.”

Beyond this, the College has called for health boards to streamline the process also streamline the process for students to register with their local staff bank so they can supplement their bursary more effectively.

Workforce crisis

At the roundtable, students also shared wider concerns for the staff shortages facing nursing and urged the government to better invest in education.

Sam Moffat, a Dundee University student and member of RCN Council, said:

“The recruitment crisis in nursing is not improving and this week new figures show there are over 4,000 registered nurse vacancies in the NHS alone, with severe shortages also impacting Scotland’s social care services.

“The meeting was a valuable opportunity for RCN members to come together and tell politicians what is needed to properly invest in the education of new nurses, attract more people into nursing and retain students throughout their education.”

NHS Scotland workforce statistics reveal over 5,600 nursing and midwifery posts remain unfilled.

The College warns the figures paint a “worrying picture” for the winter ahead, for both patients and staff.

RCN Scotland’s Director, Colin Poolman, said the government must deliver solutions through its Ministerial Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce – set up earlier this year to make recommendations to ministers on workforce education and development, culture and leadership, workforce attraction and wellbeing.

He said:

“Persistently high vacancy rates mean that nursing staff can’t run fast enough to even stand still. Every single nursing post that is vacant means the staff who remain have to pick up the slack. They also have to do their own job.

“The critical situation across Scotland’s acute hospitals will not be solved until the social care and community sectors have the right numbers of staff, with the right skills, in the right place.

“This means there is a lot riding on the Ministerial Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce. The Scottish government must make sure that the Taskforce delivers long-term, sustainable, fully-funded solutions to retain existing nursing staff and recruit the workforce of the future.”

Read more: Independent Living Fund to reopen next year; Auditor General: Difficult choices for Scotland's NHS; Nursing report spotlights burnout and discrimination

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