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Education and training

Support for students

Access advice and support when you need it

Being a student nurse can be tough at times, and it’s completely normal to need a bit of extra support now and then.

This resource brings together helpful services and advice for when things get challenging - perhaps because of placement worries, problems with your studies or personal issues. It’s here to point you in the right direction and remind you that you’re not on your own. Whatever you’re facing, there’s support out there, and this tool can help you find it.

How can we help?

Choose the option below that best fits your query.  If you have a query about more than one topic, answer the questions below for each issue in turn. You can select 'start again' and choose a different option to change topic.

 

Do you need help with:

Access our advice online

We're here to help. The RCN has a range of resources for members facing problems with their paid employment. This includes advice on:

Accidents at work and personal injury

Annual leave and holiday pay

Bullying and harassment

Changes to your shifts

Contracts

Discipline

Discrimination

Flexible working

Health and safety concerns

Investigations

Overpayment and underpayment of wages

Probation

Sickness

Working time and breaks

Remember: when you work under a contract of employment, you should be treated fairly and in line with your colleagues. You have the same legal rights and protections under your contract.

If your place on the course (or entry onto the NMC register) is at risk, contact us

Any conduct, behaviour or other matter that could affect your suitability for practise - or fitness to practise - which comes to light during your studies will be handled under your university’s fitness to practise procedure.

Instances where the procedure might apply include;

  • concerns about character (such as convictions, plagiarism, falsifying records)
  • serious unmanaged or untreated health problems
  • misconduct (abuse of patients or colleagues), or
  • lack of competence.

If you believe your place on the course (or completion of the programme and subsequent entry onto the NMC register) may be at risk as a result of a fitness to practise investigation, please contact us as soon as possible.

Access our advice online

If you're involved in a police investigation, see our advice guide on police cautions, convictions and police interviews for advice on what to do next.

Registering with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): cautions and convictions

If you have received a caution or conviction, it will affect your admission to the register. The NMC will want to know:

  • what happened?
  • why it happened?
  • whether this issue could affect you and your delivery of safe practice
  • whether you have informed the university
  • whether you have reflected and regret your actions.

It is important to do the following in the months before the end of your course:

  • prepare a full account of what happened and the circumstances around this
  • if there was more than one conviction, each one must be individually addressed
  • remember to show insight and remorse
  • gather evidence to show that the university or employer was informed of the caution or conviction. If the university or employer was not informed, explain why
  • if the caution or conviction was related to a drink, drug or a health issue, see your GP as soon as possible and request a medical report 
  • if you are asked for a reference at any stage, it is important to tell your referee why you are asking for a reference.

If you are in dispute with your university regarding the good health and good character declaration or a caution or conviction, contact us for further advice.

 

Which of the following best describes your situation?

Follow your university/HEI's processes with support from your tutor and/or Students' Union

You'll need to follow your university/HEI processes for this issue.

Read your student handbook to understand your university/HEI's processes, policies and procedures, as well as appeal time limits if applicable. Seek support from your personal or link-tutor, practice assessor and/or your Students' Union.

Read our advice guide for students for more information about your options.

Follow your university/HEI's processes with support from your tutor and/or Students' Union

You'll need to follow your university/HEI processes for this issue.

Read your student handbook to understand your university/HEI's processes, policies and procedures, as well as appeal time limits if applicable. Seek support from your personal or link-tutor, practice assessor and/or your Students' Union.

Read our advice guide for students for more information about your options.

Follow your university/HEI's processes with support from your tutor and/or Students' Union

You'll need to follow your university/HEI processes for this issue.

Read your student handbook to understand your university/HEI's processes, policies and procedures, as well as appeal time limits if applicable. Seek support from your personal or link-tutor, practice assessor and/or your Students' Union.

Read our advice guide for students for more information about your options.

Contact your personal tutor/link lecturer for advice in the first instance

You should contact your personal tutor (sometimes called link lecturer) as soon as possible to discuss the issues and agree actions where necessary.

You should also contact your Students' Union advice centre to see if they can provide advice or representation if your situation requires it.

Read our advice guide for students for more information about your options.

Which of the following best describes your situation?

Access our advice online

Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect - it's no different being a student on placement.

Read our bullying and harassment guide and speak to your personal tutor in the first instance. Check your student handbook for details of the processes you could follow to resolve the issue.

If you need further support, contact us.

Discrimination and harassment

Under equality legislation it's unlawful to discriminate against individuals (in other words, treat them less favourably or subject them to detriment) because of their 'protected characteristic'. Harassment is unwanted behaviour linked to a protected characteristic that makes someone feel intimidated or offended.

Our advice guide on discrimination explains this in more detail, and includes advice on what action to take in these circumstances.  

 

Follow our guidance and raise your concerns

50% of your time as a student will be spent on placement. Seeing the theory being put into practice can raise many questions.

Organisations must have effective procedures in place to allow nursing staff — including students — and their representatives to raise any concerns in relation to equipment, policies and processes.

Students should feel able to raise concerns without detriment and should receive timely feedback. Our raising concerns guide and toolkit will provide you with direction to enable you to do this, along with our health and safety advice guide.

If you have concerns while undertaking your placement, firstly speak with your practice supervisor/assessor or your academic assessor. These can include any difficulties you may experience due to unsustainable pressures impacting on your placement.

Contact us if you have followed your university's guidance and the problem still exists.

Check our online advice and get in touch if needed

Check our student advice guide as it should cover the situation you are experiencing. If not, please get in touch with us for advice.

OK. Do you need help with any of the following?

Access careers resources and support

Whether you're looking to apply for your first nursing role or gain work as a health care assistant alongside your studies, our careers resources can help you to improve your employability and be job ready.

See our professional development pages designed specifically for students for resources covering topics such as:

Find out more about how the RCN can support you throughout your career.

Access our Peer Support network

The RCN's Peer Support network supports student nurses with lived experience of disability, neurodivergence and long-term conditions. 

You can:

You can also join the Peer Support network as a member. We know that members who consider themselves to be disabled, have a disability or long term condition or are neurodivergent face some unique challenges. That's why speaking to each other by email or telephone can help — reducing isolation, sharing solutions and being a listening ear. Find out more about how peer networking works.

Access the RCN Counselling Service

As an RCN member you can get free, confidential support and assistance to help you deal with challenging, emotional issues you may face, whether work-related or personal.

Find out more about the RCN Counselling Service, along with other sources of support in your time of need.

Access advice and support from our Welfare Service

As an RCN student member, you can access advice and support on a range of issues affecting your finances.

A good starting point is the Student Money Guide, covering student funding across the four UK countries as well as advice around benefits, housing and more.

You can also find information around debt and money management, as well as benefits including Universal Credit (UC).

What the RCN Welfare Service cannot help with

The RCN is unable to offer FCA Regulated Debt Counselling. If you are seeking advice with consumer credit debts such as credit cards, bank overdrafts, and Hire Purchase then please see debt and money management for information on the steps you can take and how to access support.

Access support from our Immigration Advice Service

If you're an RCN member and are already in the UK, you can get confidential support and assistance on immigration issues.

In addition to lots of online advice and resources, our experienced team of immigration solicitors can offer RCN members expert guidance and advice.

Find out more about the RCN Immigration Advice Service.

Check our online advice and get in touch if needed

Check our student advice guide as it should cover the situation you are experiencing. If not, please get in touch with us for advice.

RCN Starting Out

Access our exclusive online resource to help support your nursing journey.

Membership benefits

Read about the benefits of being an RCN Student member.

Students guide

See our guide for advice about a range of issues affecting students.
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