Nursing students launch campaign for paid placements

Nursing students have launched a campaign urging the government to end unpaid placements in healthcare education.

The University of Essex Students’ Union has launched ‘Pay the Placement’ – a campaign demanding ‘fair pay’ for nursing and healthcare students and calling for an end to unpaid placements.

Currently, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) mandates that students need to complete at least 4,600 programme hours with a 50% split between theory and practice learning – meaning student nurses spend about 2,300 hours in clinical practice over their three-year programme.

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The campaign states clinical practice is ‘dominating schedules, energy, and finances’.

One student nurse supporting the campaign said: ‘Our placement hours need to be paid as we do the work of healthcare assistants and nurses while also having to focus on our university.

‘We spend so much time and work hard to help people and families, and it is physically and mentally draining – so please pay us.’

Others added that they have had ‘horrible experiences’ during placements and issues paying for transportation to and from work.

Students are now urging people to sign a petition to have the campaign heard in government. It has almost reached the 10,000-signature target which would mean the government has to respond. At 100,000 signatures, it would be considered for debate in parliament.

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Those behind the campaign are also calling for people to contact their local MP and have drafted an open letter setting out the ‘major’ changes needed because of the ‘serious financial and emotional strain’ nursing students are under.

Michelle Malone, education manager at the Essex Students’ Union, said: ‘I’ve worked with students for 12 years. Our healthcare students are dedicated, hardworking and passionate, but they’re also exhausted and often struggling.

‘We rarely see them at events or sports because they simply don’t have the time or money.

‘But we do see them, in large numbers, at our advice centre. While we’re glad they reach out for support, we want them to have the full university experience, to be rested, financially secure, and able to enjoy their time here.’

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The campaign follows news that the NMC is planning to launch a consultation to reduce the required number of programme hours to 3,600, meaning the hours on a clinical placement would decrease to 1,800.

The regulator was given the greenlight by its governing council in November last year to launch a consultation in early 2026, with any updates to its education standards following the consultation to come in ‘from September 2026’.