Resolution: Support for newly qualified and student nurses

This resolution was passed by voting members at Congress 2024.

The poor state of the NHS is frequently reported in the news and many of the reports relate to poor working conditions for nursing staff. This crisis also impacts students and newly registered nurses (NRNs) and is often under-reported. It not only results in poor patient outcomes; it also leads to stress, burnout for staff and retention issues. In 2020, the Society of Occupational Medicine identified from various studies that between 29.2% and 50.8% of nurses were emotionally exhausted. There were 45 recommendations, including a fundamental right to adequate nurse staffing, being able to take breaks and better mental health support.

The RCN’s Employment Survey (2021) showed that nursing has become more intense than ever, with 74.1% of respondents reported regularly working beyond their contracted hours at least once a week and 56.8% considering or planning to leave their post. The survey identified the inability to take annual leave and staff continuing to work when unwell was widespread. For students and NRNs this often means reduced support and learning opportunities.

The crisis in working conditions is real and students and NRNs are just as affected. Nursing Standard reported in 2021 that attrition rates for students had risen to an all time high of 33%, citing financial pressures, academic expectations, personal and clinical placement issues. Students face enormous pressures in placement during their studies and this has worsened with the increasing shortage of nursing staff in the NHS and the private sector. There are also increasing reports of students’ poor mental health. The RCN’s 2022 Last Shift Survey identified a higher proportion of students (21%) compared to the rest of the survey sample who mentioned impact on mental health and wellbeing. An NMC survey of registrants leaving the profession (NMC, 2023) identified that physical or mental health ranked second, and burnout or exhaustion ranked third in reasons for leaving.

RCN student ambassadors and the UK-wide network for NRNs are vital in supporting and engaging our members. In Northern Ireland, we run a professional network to support and engage newly qualified registrants. In Scotland, further support is being pursued through the Ministerial Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce, while RCN Wales has called for significant improvement in the support that is available to students, directly with the Welsh government.

A framework incorporating supernumerary status, preceptorship or equivalent, peer and organisational culture of support can help ensure a smooth and comfortable transition for NRNs (Watson, 2021). However, with poor staffing levels, relentless workloads and a lack of national models, preceptorship for many is not as supportive as it should be.

Feeling welcomed into the profession and being equipped to get up and running is the least that can be expected by students and NRNs.

The reading list for this debate is available here.

References 
Kinman G, Teoh K, Harris A (2020) The mental health and wellbeing of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom. Available at: www.som.org.uk/sites/som.org.uk/files/The_Mental_Health_and_Wellbeing_of_Nurses_and_Midwives_in_the_United_Kingdom.pdf

Jones-Berry, S (2021) Quitting before they qualify: what’s behind the spike in nursing students dropping out?, Nursing Standard, 39(3).

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2023) 2023 NMC Register leavers survey. Available at: www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/data-reports/may-2023/annual-data-report-leavers-survey-2023.pdf

Royal College of Nursing (2023) Last shift survey 2022 – Qualitative report. Available at: www.rcn.org.uk/library/-/media/Royal-College-Of-Nursing/Documents/Library/Subject-Guides/SPJ-Last-shift-survey-qualitative-report.pdf

Royal College of Nursing (2021) Employment Survey 2021. Available at: www.rcn.org.uk/Professional-Development/publications/employment-survey-2021-uk-pub-010-075

Watson, R (2021) Retaining newly registered nurses in the profession, Professioni infermieristiche, 74(4), 255. doi.org/ 10.7429/pi.2021.744255b