Student nurses to qualify 6 months early. Would you?

[DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou]

There's big talks of letting 3rd year student nurses qualify 6 months early to cope with the current situation. I think the initial idea of asking retired nurses to return was bloody abominable and unrealistic.

Our uni has emailed us putting word out that they may be asking us soon.

Anyone in the same boat? Or have feelings on this?

what exactly does the final 6 months entail?
more paperwork?
and what month do they normally finish? surely there is some similarity in the month of finishing?
have plenty just finished in February?

and dont student nurses pretty much work on the wards anyway? or do they just observe?

There's two intakes feb and September.
So the September cohort could be asked to start about now and the feb cohort in August (probably won't be needed then??).

The last 6 months isn't just paperwork unfortunately. As above there's 12-14 weeks of placement and it's an important one.

I didn’t realise nursing and other AHP students were being asked to do this - many medical schools are withdrawing students from placement.

I’m a medical student, so not as useful on the ward as a student nurse admittedly, but I wrote 6 discharge summaries on Friday freeing up the medical team to review unwell patients. I’ve been worrying that I’ll be withdrawn and not get the hours / skills signed off I need to pass the year.

Don’t do it, most students need that final placement to consolidate their learning and become safe, effective nurses. You’ll probably never get another opportunity in your 30+ year career to have 12 weeks of preceptorship.

As a qualified nurse I absolutely do not hate students BUT mostly I don’t have the time to deal with them when they’re really struggling. If you finish early you risk being a liability, causing more stress for staff and making a mistake that could effect your future. You’ve studied for 2.5 years for this and sacrificed a lot. Don’t risk it.

Well say you volunteer to get your pin six months early, are you meant to just rock up to a hospital and start working? Start working in the placement you were on? Go to your next placement? Who is hiring you? It seems administratively unsound

If they want student nurses to assist, keep them as students, but give back the bursary for the next six months so they don’t need to work on top of placement, be an extra pair of hands on the wards/clinics/community whatever but keep students protected from terrible political handling of the NHS

Q

They surely cannot expect newly qualified nurses to deal with ventilator dependant patients.

They wouldn't. Qualified nurses are being shifted around from their usual posts, so they would work in appropriate roles.

The conference where it was mentioned stated that they would be paid a band 5 wage, and it would be optional.

My view is that it's not ideal, but it is a realistic option given that we can't pull nurses out of thin air. To make a truly informed opinion though would need to know what the support would look like. Sorry you feel OP that people hate students, but realistically it's just as the workload is usually so intense that the additional work is sometimes unmanagable. But obviously they are the future of nursing, and if staffing levels and conditions were increased it would be better for everyone.

GoTsDoRome
Giving back the bursary for the last 6 months sounds like a far better idea.

In your position, no, I would t risk my career. If you could do it in such a way that you could get decent training, funds and supervision, that would be different but doesn’t sound like the government is proposing this.

Well, no, you’re not qualifying early. You’re getting temporary registration early and would presumably be expected to go back to being a student. Which tbh is completely ridiculous. It all needs to be looked at, especially in terms of what happens with placements happening just now. We can’t be asked to do some shifts as fully qualified, and then do placements with student rules. The lines would be too blurred.

I’m a student midwife in my final year, last placements, and we have had the same communication. It is up in the air how they’d work it, because I’m not willing to delay my actual graduation, but I will help out if it won’t affect that. I have a job lined up for when my actual pin comes through and I’m not jeapordising it.

I’m sure there will be clarification soon. I and my cohort are working autonomously at this stage, requiring minimal help and supervision, so it wouldn’t be a massive stretch for us. I don’t know if nurses are the same?

I think it's a terrible idea for all the reasons stated above. By all means fast-track HR/NMC pin and DBS for the newly qualified so they can get in post asap, but asking students who haven't finished their training to act up is a disaster waiting to happen.

Well, no, you’re not qualifying early. You’re getting temporary registration early and would presumably be expected to go back to being a student.

Nope. We're being asked to finish our course early and qualifying.

Not going back.

I think the initial idea of asking retired nurses to return was bloody abominable and unrealistic.

Why? I have a friend who retired a few months ago. If they needed her, she'd be back like a shot. Because she's a nurse and that's what nurses do.

There is talk of the same for final year med students, making turn up to junior doctors.

I guess it depends what age the nurse retired.

As a nurse my advice to student nurses is to be very cautious about registering early.
We live in a world where if mistakes happen nurses and drs have been prosecuted for manslaughter, that’s worst case but also losing your registration and everything you have worked for for the last 2.5yrs or more.
The current staff will be extra busy and not necessarily have the time to mentor and support you.
As well and good as it sound to be all hands on deck and do everything you can to help I think all HCP should think about putting themselves in situations that they are not familiar with or is out of their scope of practice.
I don’t think the reasons for making nursing a 3year degree not a 2.5yr degree should be forgotten.

Ok so it's 20 odd years since I qualified and i was a mental health Nurse not general but whenever they qualified would try not need a period of Preceptorship?

Why isn't there a 'sign up' site for those that are already registered, already DBS checked, yet not currently working in the NHS??? I'm with an agency, as as 1000's of other nurses, Dr's, health professionals, yet there is no means of offering ourselves for work, other than via our agencies!

I guess it depends what age the nurse retired.

Well, yes. I don't think anyone is suggesting that retired nurses in their 80s and 90s should be called back. Those in their 60s, however...

Desperate times, desperate measures.

On the face of it (and full disclosure I have no medical background) it seems a better idea than some of the others being floated about (ie bringing nurses back from retirement).

I am a very exp nurse. Don’t do it. You need those six months to consolidate.

Those in their 60s, however...

If I was a retired nurse in my 60's I wouldn't go back.
I think that would be such a bad idea. Way too close to 70 and the vulnerable age IMO.

Imagine the fall out when the retired nurses start dying from corona. And they'll soon start asking why the whipper snappers weren't asked to join....

Out of interest, could they not extend the placement so instead of 12-14 weeks student nurses were doing 20 weeks (with the additional being paid) and then going to finish the course as normal? If it is getting hands on deck, that would increase time on the ward or is the real issue the fact that there won’t be time to do the supervision properly? If there is talk of volunteers on the ward, I’d much rather have someone that was nearly qualified than someone pulled off the street.

This sounds like something proposed by a person who has never worked on a ward.

I think there will need to be some shuffling around and other NHS staff utilised. I was a clinical physiologist, no way would I have the knowledge and ability to work as a nurse.

I could have, however, help run some outpatient clinics, make beds, and do some HCA tasks.

I think there will need to be some sort of shifting people about.

Cremebrule you're a qualified nurse at the end of the 12-14 week placement. That's the very end of the course.