The latest policy briefing calls for the UK and Scottish governments to urgently reform the clinical training placements system to ensure a healthy supply of nurses across the NHS. It analyses the challenge of meeting an increased demand for more nurses within the NHS alongside the need for a resilient and flexible clinical placements system to boost and support growth.
Demand for more nurses coming into the NHS within England and Scotland is ever growing.
Modern universities, which collectively train around two-thirds of all student nurses, are up to this challenge. However, increasing the recruitment of student nurses is only half the solution; the requirement for student nurses to undertake training through a clinical placement before qualifying presents a clear barrier for growth.
With the NHS workforce under immense pressure due to record numbers of experienced nurses leaving the profession, which in turn reduces supervisory and mentoring staff for clinical places, and further increases in student numbers needed to meet workforce targets, the system is creaking at the seams.
