Nursing students in Wales ‘pushed into poverty’, RCN warns

Mark Mansfield

Nursing students in Wales are being pushed into poverty and struggling to afford basic living costs while training for careers in the NHS, the Royal College of Nursing has warned.

RCN Wales is calling on the Welsh Government to urgently review the true cost of studying nursing and increase financial support for students facing mounting debt, housing insecurity and exhaustion.

The union says many nursing students are being forced to choose between buying food and travelling to clinical placements, while balancing unpaid NHS placements alongside university study and part-time work.

It is urging ministers to protect and increase the current non-means-tested NHS Wales bursary and ensure support reflects inflation and the rising cost of living.

RCN Wales says the existing bursary remains an important source of support but no longer reflects the financial realities facing students.

The organisation said it had heard from students across Wales who were struggling to cope financially while undertaking demanding placements and full-time courses.

Some students reported not having enough money to travel to placements, while others said means testing failed to reflect their real circumstances because household income figures did not match the support actually available to them.

Others described housing insecurity and said they were considering leaving their courses altogether because of financial pressures.

A mature student nurse in south Wales said leaving a secure healthcare support worker role after nearly 20 years to pursue nursing had placed huge strain on her family finances during the cost-of-living crisis.

A student nurse in north Wales described training as taking “everything from you emotionally and financially”, saying her partner had moved to night shifts to become the sole earner while she completed placements and university work.

Another student midwife in south Wales said she had taken on part-time work alongside full-time placements to cover basic living costs and had missed important family events while trying to balance study and financial survival.

‘Struggling’

Speaking at the RCN Congress in Liverpool, RCN Wales Executive Director Nicola Williams said students were struggling to meet even their most basic needs.

“We are hearing directly from students who cannot afford to get to placements, who are working exhausting hours alongside full-time study, and who are struggling to meet even their most basic needs,” she said.

“Students are telling us they feel unable to look after themselves, are experiencing housing insecurity and in some cases are considering leaving their course altogether.”

RCN Wales warned that unless action is taken urgently, financial hardship could force more students out of training, worsening staffing shortages across NHS Wales.

Responding to the concerns, the Welsh Government said it valued the nursing workforce and confirmed the NHS Wales bursary would continue.

A spokesperson said: “We greatly value the nursing workforce in Wales and the vital work they do. We will maintain the NHS Wales Bursary and implement a long-term plan to support our NHS workforce.

“The First Minister has now appointed his Cabinet which he has said will have a relentless focus on doing what’s best for Wales. Each Minister will be setting out their priorities shortly.”