Nursing student not allowed to make up shifts missed due to birth of his baby

[Teabagtits]

My 40yo partner is about to embark on his final, final-year nursing placement, in the middle of which I'm due to give birth by c-section. He is a supernumerary trainee.

He approached the university on the advice of his mentor to find out about banking some shifts early on in the placement to allow him some paternity leave when the baby is born and the university have said he must still do his shifts the week the baby is born but he can make up one shift after baby is born. He had hoped he could make up the hours he'd miss in advance of the baby being born to take off the stress of having a newborn, me recovering from abdominal surgery, a 7 year old and being on a ward 13 hours a day.

When his stepfather was terminally ill a few years back they allowed him two weeks off to care for him and another week off when he died, and he made up the hours after the event without problem. I don't understand why they cannot allow a similar system with a foreseeable event.

It's not like he's off to Ibiza for a fortnight and it's not as if he's trying to get out of doing the work, he's just trying to rearrange the shifts for my first week out of hospital.

Am I being unreasonable to feel this is a bit unfair given the circumstances or are the uni being unfair given we gave them plenty of notice?

It's very unfair. But a lot of workplaces are still really shit about paternity leave. Can he appeal or take it higher? Especially if it requires childcare of the 7-year old.

Can he speak to his placement mentor (on the ward I assume) to see if they can arrange his shifts in a way which allows him to have less that week or some half day shifts or nights? For example he could do the bulk of his shifts for that week before the c section rather than after or do two weeks of 4 shifts in the weeks preceding so he only has two shifts that week.

It might be related to the number of hours he can do. In our place, the students are limited to 4 LDs per week, this therefore limits the number of hours they can make up.

It is not uncommon for students in their final placement (we only take 3rd years in my area) to have a huge number of hours to make up from previous placements.

Is it possible that the university are hoping to avoid a situation where he "owes" a lot of hours which would prevent him from entering the register at the end of his course?

Unlike a "normal" job, hours missed through paternity leave have to be made up (sorry, sure you know that).

I qualified as a midwife two years ago (so familiar with the student shift drill!) and amazed they are being so inflexible.

TBH we sorted shift needs (inc compassionate leave etc) directly with the hospital and the uni only really got involved if there was a problem such as a student being repeatedly late, drastically down on hours, unprofessional behaviour etc. Does he have a CPA (clinical practice facilitator - senior nurse based at the hospital who is in charge of the students and their training)? If so I would take it up with them. Failing that, is he a union member - unison or the RCN? I would take it up with them. His hospital will have a team of unison and RCN reps amongst the staff who should be ready and willing to guide and support him
with the situation. Also advise him to ring the nursing and midwifery council (NMC) who (even as a student) are his professional body for their advice and guidence.

Whatever you do, do not just accept this. 'a bit shit' with paternity leave is very illegal and needs to be consigned to history. PM me if you need any more advice xxx

'Students whose partners are expecting a baby are entitled to up to 4 weeks maternity support leave which cannot commence until the baby is born. These 4 weeks can be taken at any point within the first year of the baby’s life and can be taken separately. Students are also permitted reasonable time off study in order to enable him/her to attend antenatal appointments prescribed by a doctor, midwife or health visitor with his/her partner.'

That is from the University of Western Englands placement guide for its student nurses (page 29). Your DH's uni will have a similar placement guide - he can access it via student services so get hold of it as a first port of call xxx

www2.uwe.ac.uk/faculties/HLS/PSNet/Documents/child-nursing/Std%20Placement%20Info%20Guide%20-%20Child.pdf

123bananas we hoped he'd be able to do something like that but it depends on when his ward mentor is on.

someday if they'd let him do 4 shifts a week leading up to the birth he'd be able to take two weeks paternity. That's what we'd asked for and were refused. He wanted to do the hours before the birth so he didn't owe anything. It seems it's easier to take compassionate leave/ time off for parents illness and owe than to work too many in advance of time off for the birth of your own child.

eastendqueen previous placements would've allowed arranging hours internally but he appears to have a ward based jobsworth this time who referred him to the uni for their decision. I didn't think about the union. Thanks I'll get him to check with them. His university don't have a maternity leave policy for dads that we can find but it's good that there is one for another uni we can use as evidence of good practice. Thank you for your help.

Bloody hell. How unkind but sadly this doesn't surprise me. I came on to suggest the union and to check student regulations.

Unfortunately if you have already found the ward are referring to the uni then it sounds as if they will not be flexible on there.

Treating students like this is one of the many, many reasons that morale is low. So frustrating as unlike the big problems (NHS funding etc.), treating students with compassion is something that should be achievable . I'm not sure what they are called these days but does he have some kind of practice placement link person who can advise?