Thank you, NSWNMA, for fighting for paid placements for students on placement.

Our governments, both state and federal, must rethink how we can grow our nursing and midwifery workforce. Student poverty is very real, and has worsened with mounting cost- of-living pressures. The cost of unpaid placements to the individual is huge – there are lost wages if they are lucky enough to have work whilst studying, plus extra costs such as travel, possibly parking (another bugbear for many of us), and accommodation costs when away from home.

I have heard some very concerning conversations amongst our students, worried they can no longer afford to continue studying. Studying is by no means free. Students also have to contend with a HECS debt and repayment of any student loans.

Any support that can be provided would be helpful. We all know experienced nurses and midwives are leaving health, but it feels like there are less entering the system. I was lucky enough to be one of the last hospital-based trained nurses, and I wonder if I would have chosen nursing if I had the same costs of study and placement that our future nurses face today.

If governments are serious about providing a quality health service, they need to grow and retain the workforce. I know paid placements is only one strategy, but it is an important one. Please let’s keep up the pressure on government to change this.

Jill Telfer, NUM, Educator