DUBLIN: A nursing student has openly stated that Ireland is unsuitable for nursing students. A student nurse who worked at the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic said that Irish student nurses receive “horrific treatment” from the government and as a result, they will leave Ireland soon after graduation.
The young man criticised the Department of Health and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly for failing to provide adequate support to nurses in Ireland.
In addition to seeking financial and educational assistance for nursing students, he said a number of issues have arisen in recent months. He stated that nursing students must balance educational commitments and part-time jobs while providing vital support in the COVID-19 response, and that they are not paid for placements.
“Students are having to work without being paid in a pandemic where they could catch and spread a disease; they’re working weekend jobs to bring in money to afford food and rent; and they’re having to complete assignments, study and learning outcomes,” the student nurse said.
“It’s been a stressful and traumatic time for nursing students in Ireland. We’ve been subjected to horrific treatment. Ireland is not a welcoming place for nursing students,” he added.
He also ridicule the fact that HSE provides cynical placement instead of clinical placement. “It makes us hyper-aware of the ways we’re exploited and the ways the HSE is just disrespectful towards the nurses,” he said.
The nurse also said that many of his classmates are already planning to move abroad after their graduation in Ireland.
A spokesman for the Department of Health reiterated the usual refrain of acknowledging and thanking the commitment shown by nursing and midwifery students during the difficult times. The spokesman also said it continues to engage with the unions in matters including the implementation of the recommendations of the Collins report. This includes a €100 per week Pandemic Placement Grant, a contract to start a long-term review of current clinical placement allowances and internship pay, the spokesman said.
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