Here’s the situation as it stands:

• There’s been a worrying decline in applications for undergraduate nursing courses in recent years.
• Compared with 2019, there has been an 11% decrease in those starting undergraduate courses.
• Over the last four years, more than 3,500 fewer nursing students have started university than planned in the targets set by Scottish government.
• Recent research shows that almost 20% of nursing students do not complete their courses.

Many of us have a job in addition to our nursing course. But our ability to take on fixed part-time work is limited compared to other students, because of the length of the academic year and the number of hours we spend on placement.

Additionally, research shows that most people studying nursing are mature students with existing financial commitments, many of whom have responsibility for dependents.

The government bursary, while welcome, doesn’t sufficiently take these additional circumstances into account, nor is it enough to encourage more people to enter nursing.

The cost of living keeps rising which means the value of the bursary has gone down. We know financial concerns are impacting on students’ mental and physical health and contributing to worrying dropout rates and a decline in numbers entering nursing courses.

On the back of our campaigning, in 2023 the Scottish government committed to a review of the financial support package for nursing students but, while some actions have been taken, the review has not yet been completed. The next Scottish government must step up, to show that they value nursing students and allow us to start our careers off on the right track.

Through our The Gloves are Off election campaign, RCN Scotland is calling for a cost-of-living increase to the student bursary, as well as improved support for students in their academic setting and in practice placements to address dropout rates. The campaign also urges the new government to act on recommendations made by the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce on student recruitment and retention – including a nationwide recruitment campaign that showcases the huge range of opportunities that a career in nursing offers.

So, what can we, as nursing students, do to help?

Firstly, we can contact our local candidates to tell them that it’s time to value nursing properly. By lifting up the profession as a whole, nursing can once again be seen as the worthwhile and deeply rewarding career that it is.

We can share RCN Scotland’s The Gloves are Off campaign on social media, and with friends and family, to get the message out far and wide.

And lastly: we can get out on 7 May to vote and have our voices heard!

We'd also recommend reading:

• The Gloves are Off - Briefing on nursing students