Over 32,000 Student Nurses Could Drop Out by 2029, RCN Warns
The Nursing Times has recently reported on the challenges facing the future of nursing in England and the urgent need for systemic change. More than 32,000 nursing students in England might leave their courses by the end of the next parliament, according to analysis by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). This alarming figure highlights a crisis in the nursing pipeline, with potential dropouts equalling the number of current nurse vacancies in the NHS.
The RCN attributed this concerning trend to the financial strain nursing students face. Since the bursary was scrapped in 2016, students have been burdened with tuition fees of £9,250 annually, which will rise to £9,535 in 2025. Unlike other degree programmes, nursing students must balance thousands of clinical hours with academic work, leaving little opportunity to earn extra income. This unique challenge, coupled with rising living costs, has driven many to reconsider their future in the profession.
Using data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency and other sources, the RCN estimated that 21% of nursing students in England drop out before completing their degrees. If this trend continues, over 32,000 could leave their courses before 2029.
The RCN has called for urgent measures, including a student debt forgiveness scheme for nurses who work in the NHS for several years, as well as better financial support during training.
The college’s latest survey revealed that financial pressures are the top reason students are quitting. To address this, the RCN has called for a more attractive pay structure and greater investment in nursing education. Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN general secretary, emphasised the urgency of the situation, stating, “The students of today are the nurses of the future, but for tens of thousands, the unbearable weight of debt and lack of support is pushing them out of the profession.”
While the government has dismissed the RCN’s projections as speculative, it acknowledged the need for action and pointed to recent pay increases for NHS staff. B generation of nurses.
To read the full article at Nursing Times, click here.