STUDENT nurses are struggling to complete their education because of severe financial hardship, RCN Wales warned today.

The union highlighted that financial support for nursing students has remained stagnant despite a spiralling cost-of-living crisis.

It is urging the Welsh government to increase the NHS bursary to cover their costs and make it available to everyone studying nursing to ensure students get the financial support they need.

RCN Wales is also calling for nursing education and research to receive investment and backing from higher education institutions (HEIs).

This, in turn, requires government action to ensure the broader HEI funding system rewards universities that invest in their nursing departments, according to the union.

In April, Cardiff University reversed its proposals to cut its school of nursing.

But RCN Wales said the damage from the proposal has already been done, with staff taking voluntary redundancy and prospective students choosing their second-choice university.

Students from Wales are meeting with others across Britain at RCN’s annual congress in Liverpool this week to discuss the state of nursing education.

Nursing student and RCN student ambassador Nico Williams said: “I’ve seen first-hand many examples of the financial hardships that student nurses experience, and the knock-on effects that has on their studies and ability to complete the course. 

“Students prioritising paying to get to placement and washing their uniforms over purchasing food is a tragedy.

“The majority of students need to work alongside their degree, including whilst on placement, leaving little time for studies and family life, leading to burn out, poorer academic performance and significant numbers dropping out. 

“At a time when we need nurses so desperately, the government must increase funding for nursing students and take action to stabilise nursing education in Wales.”

The Welsh government said: “Despite pressures on our budget, we extended the NHS bursary for eligible healthcare students for the current academic year and removed the reduced rate of maintenance loan for new and existing eligible, full-time, Welsh-domiciled NHS Wales bursary students.

“This enables them to access the full amount of maintenance support in addition to any bursary funding they may receive, should they wish to.

“We recognise the impact of increasing costs of living on healthcare professional students and will be launching a public consultation on the future of the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme later this year.T