I am a frontline nurse working as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in General Practice.

During my 25 year career I have witnessed both positive and negative aspects of working on the NHS frontline.  One recurring theme is the recruitment and retention of nurses which disappointingly has only got worse. In June 2022 NHS England and the NHS Improvement Agency reported 46,828 registered nursing vacancies in England an increase from 38,814 in June 2021.  This shortfall not only has a negative impact on the workforce but ultimately affects the safety of our patients which is extremely concerning. 

In order to attract more people into the profession would it make more sense to pay student nurses a salary rather than a pitiful bursary.  Currently students can receive a bursary which appears to be between £1000 and £5000 per academic year and dependent on location. Anecdotal information suggests many people would love to start a career in nursing whether it be at the beginning of their career or would like to change their career. Unfortunately the current bursary makes this untenable for some and now more so, due to the cost of living crisis. 

I’m under no illusion that this will fix everything, there are countless other issues to address including culture change within some areas of the NHS and managing public expectations. However this is a start….

Please support this petition to encourage new people into the profession by paying student nurses a salary and enable the workforce to continue to care for and support our patients as safely and efficiently as possible. 

Thanks for reading.