Drop-Out Rate For Student Nurses Is Now 28%

Student nurses are leaving the profession because of poor support during hospital placements, it was claimed last night. The drop-out rate from courses in Scotland has risen to more than 28%, according to the Royal College of Nursing.

Trainees themselves said lack of mentoring when they were sent out to hospital wards was one of the key problems. This concern surfaces at the same time as a poll reports senior nurses across the UK believe staff shortages are affecting patient care.

Last year a report in the journal Nursing Standard showed the student nurse drop-out rate was 23.9% in Scotland, compared with 16% south of the border. RCN Scotland said yesterday the latest attrition rate was 28.3%.

Theresa Fyffe, the new director of RCN Scotland, said: “What is an on-going issue for students in Scotland is actually getting good mentoring and the mentors having time for students.”

She added that students did not feel properly supported by the current arrangements.

Guidance states that nursing students on placement should spend 40% of their time with their mentor. However, Ms Fyffe said while some trainees had excellent experiences others found their mentor was either poor or did not have time to fulfil the role.

She continued: “If students have poor mentoring experiences, it does not make them feel engaged in the practice environment and we can lose them. The students do not stay or they do not do as well in their own assessments. If you are not getting the support in learning you will not do as well.

“Mentoring is like good parentingand if you can get that right you can make all the difference to the students coming out as registered nurses with a good outlook and a good positive experience that they bring back into the learning environment as staff nurses.”

More than 2000 nurses including Scottish representatives are currently attending the annual conference of the RCN in Harrogate.

The survey of senior nurses in hospitals across the UK about staffing levels was organised to coincide with the event.

Almost two-thirds (60%) of senior nurses said patient care on their ward was “compromised” at least once or twice a week by inadequate staffing levels.

Almost one-third (31%) said patient care was compromised on every shift and almost half (49%) said there were not enough qualified nurses on duty.

Cost cutting, currently a bigger issue in English hospitals, is portrayed as part of the problem.

However, Lothian members of the RCN yesterday called for new laws capping the number of patients nurses are allowed to look after. This is to stop managers slashing staff to save money.

Geoff Earl, a psychiatric community nurse in Edinburgh, said evidence had shown death rates increased by 31% if the number of patients per nurse increased from four to eight.

Ms Fyffe said RCN Scotland would take action if it continued to receive reports about problems with student mentoring on placements.

A framework to support mentors themselves has been set up, she said, and this seemed to be effective.

Under standards set by NHS Education for Scotland all departments which take nursing students are required to have in place policies and procedures to ensure the right learning opportunities are provided.