Overview of The Three Basic Challenges Faced by Nursing Students

Current statistics from the Nursing Standard (2017) show that one in four student nurses are not completing their degree due to certain challenges they face while studying. The participants that took part in the research study stated that some of the reasons why they dropped out was due to financial difficulties, childcare, stress and being mistreated by tutor’s whilst on placement. The main purpose of this assignment is to write about challenges that Nursing students face whilst studying. This essay will begin by looking at three challenges (stress, financial difficulties and childcare) that nursing students face and then after look at ways to overcome these challenges so that a large amount of student nurses dropping out is prevented. And at the end a conclusion will be written to sum up all the main points that have been identified in this essay.

Nursing students experience a high level of stress and anxiety throughout their education. Student nurses do not only face academic work stress but also work stress whilist doing their trainings. Martos et al. , (2011) support this as his research study found that the most common stressors are workload and making hard decisions. Some students have not worked in a health and social care setting before starting placements. So for them being in a room full of sick people who are dependent on them adds on to their stress levels. Student nurses often do not talk about what they go through whilst on placement because of the worry of breaching confidentiality and being struck off the course before they can complete it. Another reason why student nurses are stressed it is because they do not have enough ‘time’. Nursing school is a very demanding course, which is fulltime.

With coursework, reading for homework, and the clinical work, there usually is not time left for anything else such as family and socialising with friends. Student nurses are also over worked whilist on placement they do 12. 5 hours shifts and they only get 1hour break sometimes when it is busy they can go 12. 5hours without a break and most end of with Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) because they cannot go for regular toilet breaks. They go through all this and they do not get paid while on placement yet due to shortage of healthcare assistants in the National Health Service (NHS) they are used as coversSecondly, financial difficulty is another contributing factor to why students’ nurses drop out from their course before graduation. In 2016, the government produced a white paper that led to scrapping of nursing bursaries this change affected many student nurses financially. Even though they introduced loans this is still not enough for mature students, as they have children and bills to pay. According to a survey by Royal College of Nursing, financial issues can also be a big challenge for nursing students.

About 62% of nursing students in the United Kingdom leave the course due to constraints. Another reason why student nurses struggle financially is because the nursing course is very demanding therefor they are unable to work whilist they are completing their course. Childcare is another challenge that nursing students, most nursing students are mature students with families some have children who are younger than five. These attend nursery. Most nurseries in West Midlands do not open until 7 am and they close at 6. 30pm the latest. Because of these opening hours that cater for people with 9 to 5 jobs student nurses with no family support struggle with childcare as they need to get to their placements for 7am and do not finish until 7:30pm. Also childcare costs are going up almost every year this puts too much pressure on student nurses. To make matters worse most universities do not have much support for student mothers. With all the challenges that student nurses face there are ways that these challenges can be overcame in order to prevent a high percentage of student nursing drop outs.

For example with childcare; if one is having a problem with the opening times of their child minder service one can apply for an au pair; these are available 24/7 and they can help with childcare during unsociable hours. With financial difficulties, students can apply for bank work as healthcare assistants and students who are single mother are eligible for benefits such as child benefit and child tax credit.

Another factor identified is stress, most universities now have student mentors these are available to any student if they have problems and they want to talk about the problem and if the problem needs someone professional most universities now have a free counselling service for students that need it and this is confidential. In conclusion, even though nursing is a demanding, stressful and time consuming course with lots of challenges it is still the most rewarding career in the world. Those who qualify and start a career in nursing they are able to progress and move up the ladder.