One in four nurses drop out before graduating, new research reveals

Trainees being exploited as 'cheap labour', says RCN

Student nurses, midwives and healthcare students have called on the next government to overhaul the system (Getty)

One in four student nurses dropped out of their degrees before they graduated last year, exacerbating the NHS staffing crisis, according to new research.

The revelation prompted the Royal College of Nurses (RCN) to warn that trainees were plagued by financial difficulties and exploited as “cheap labour”, leading them to quit their courses.

Of 16,544 UK nursing students who began three-year degrees due to finish in 2017, 4,027 left their courses early or suspended their studies, giving a drop out rate of 24 per cent in the UK, according to data obtained by industry publication Nursing Standard and research charity the Health Foundation. The figures were provided by 55 out of 74 universities asked.

The NHS in England has 40,000 unfilled nursing positions, the RCN estimates, and hospitals are reporting growing shortages of nurses along with other healthcare staff.

Applications to study nursing in England have dropped by a third since 2017, when the Government scrapped bursaries, meaning nurses and midwives must pay £9,000 a year in fees.

Anne Corrin, Head of Professional Learning and Development at the RCN, said: “These figures are a stark and timely reminder of the need to properly support student nurses.

“It is vital that student nurses have the opportunity to learn in placements – where they spend half their time – and are not relied upon to make up shortfalls in staffing numbers. They must not be exploited as cheap labour.

“Nursing is a wonderful career, but student nurses face some of the most demanding workloads of any course. This makes financial pressures of student life and placements even harder to bear.

“Falling student numbers and rising vacancies in our health and social care services mean addressing these issues has never been more urgent.”

Figures from a Nursing Standard investigation in 2006 found the attrition rate was 24.8 per cent, suggesting efforts to retain nurses and nursing students over the last decade have had little effect, the publication said.

James Buchan, professor in the health and sciences faculty at Edinburgh’s Queen Margaret University said: “Student nurse attrition has been for many years identified as a major problem for the UK, both in terms of the negative impact on individuals who leave programmes early, and also for the system at large, given nursing shortages are so prominent and increasing.”

Ben Gershlick, a senior economics analyst at the Health Foundation said: “While the attrition rate has remained fairly constant over the last decade, its impact is becoming more severe bearing in mind the overall shortage of nurses, vacancies in nursing posts and rising demand pressures on the NHS.

“The need for nurses trained in the UK has also increased as we have seen a recent fall in the inflow of nurses coming from abroad.

“Reducing attrition should be a crucial aspect of our overall approach to workforce planning.

“The long-term plan for the health service, which is currently in development, and the workforce strategy expected from Health Education England, need to bring a much more joined-up and strategic approach.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The NHS runs on the dedication and commitment of our wonderful nurses, who work tirelessly to provide the highest quality of care for their patients.

“There are currently 52,000 nurses in training to work in our NHS, with more to come thanks to our historic 25 per cent increase in training places which will ensure we have the nurses we need for the future.”