Financial Burdens of the Student Nurses and Midwives in Australia

For most nursing students in Australia, there is an enormous burden on their shoulders. Not only are they concerned about the healthcare crisis, the health of their patients, and whether they are passing their subjects/courses, but their own finances and wellbeing!

Finding the time to work while studying full-time has become one of the most difficult challenges for these nursing and midwifery students. The failure rate and withdrawal rate of students are increasing. Only 66% of nurses complete their degree and 10.4% drop out within the first year of their bachelors (Cassidy, 2023). This in no way benefits the Australian Healthcare System.

The year 1974 was the first introduction of nursing as a diploma in Australia and later, in 1979, the two-year registration Bachelor of Nursing degree commenced (La Trobe University, 2020). Before this period, nurses were trained in a hospital environment, under registered nurses and doctors, and provided housing, necessary uniforms, and so forth. Nowadays, nursing students pay to attend their placements in hospitals and other healthcare locations. They pay for their own uniforms, textbooks, travel expenses, and accommodation. Without the financial support, focusing on study is becoming a great challenge.

There has to be action taken to encourage our essential workers to graduate and find employment, to save the ageing population crisis.

References

Cassidy, C. (2023, March 4). Urgent calls to end compulsory unpaid internships as students forced to quit due to cost of living. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/05/urgent-calls-to-end-compulsory-unpaid-internships-as-students-forced-to-quit-due-to-cost-of-living

La Trobe University. (2020). School of Nursing and Midwifery history. https://www.latrobe.edu.au/school-nursing-and-midwifery/about/history#:~:text=1974%3A%20Introduction%20of%20the%20first