Nurses should not work for free says RCN
Published: 24 August 2007
Commenting on newly qualified nurses working for free or below minimum wage to achieve preceptorship, Dr Peter Carter, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said:
“Trusts are not employing these new nurses because they are struggling to balance their books because of NHS deficits. This is yet another example of nurses and ultimately patients having to pay for failures in the system.
“We are training nurses that are desperately needed, and then not giving them jobs. It is a terrible waste of their skills, it is wrong that they should have to work for free or below the minimum wage, and the government should be tackling this issue as a matter of urgency.
“It is vital that newly qualified nurses get this period of preceptorship. That nurses are willing to work for free to get this guidance and support is a testament to their dedication and commitment.”
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Notes to Editors
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Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.