Depending on if you live at home or are studying in another part of the country, you may be represented by two different MPs.

You can decide which MP to contact – we recommend that you contact one MP. This is because MPs have strict rules that don’t allow them to do casework for someone living outside their constituency.

Using your postcode – either home address or university residence address – you can find your MP and their contact details by using this search tool.

When you receive a reply

It can take up to two weeks to receive a reply from an MP’s office. If you don’t hear back by then, you can follow up by email or phone.

When you do receive a reply, please share this with the RCN Public Affairs team who can track which MPs are supportive of this call: publicaffairs@rcn.org.uk.

Subject: Urgent Action Needed: Lack of Jobs for Newly Qualified Nurses

Dear [MP’s Name],

I am writing to you as a final-year student nurse and your constituent living in [insert hometown/university town] to raise my deep concern about the shortage of employment opportunities for newly qualified nurses across England.

Despite a national shortage of nursing staff and growing demand across the NHS, many nursing students are facing the reality of no job offers after graduation. Recruitment freezes and strict budget constraints caused by long-term underfunding mean that trusts are unable to offer the preceptorship positions we were trained for and led to expect.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), has urged the Government to guarantee jobs for all final-year nursing students. This issue was debated at the RCN’s annual Congress this year, demonstrating the scale of concern within the profession.

It is difficult to reconcile the Government’s stated ambition to expand the NHS workforce with the barriers we are now facing at the point of entry. Without immediate national action to ensure all nursing graduates are able to find a Band 5 role, and a long term sustainable strategy to address the shortage of roles for newly qualified nurses, we risk losing a vital generation of nurses before their careers have even begun.

I urge you to raise this issue in Parliament and with the Department of Health and Social Care as a matter of urgency. We need action now to protect the future of nursing and ensure that newly qualified nurses can join the NHS workforce where they are desperately needed.

For the past two years, along with other nursing students on my course, I have dedicated myself to learning the skills and knowledge needed to provide NHS patients with the care they deserve. All we ask in return is that the Government recognises our commitment and gives us the opportunity to put this dedication to quality patient care into practice.

Should you have any questions or would like further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me / contact the RCN’s public affairs team at publicaffairs@rcn.org.uk

Kind regards,

[Your Full Name]

Student Nurse

[Your University/Placement Trust]

[Your Contact Email]