
Members of the RCN Students Committee and student ambassadors have met with Acosia Nyanin, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer (DCNO) for NHS England, to discuss the development of the professional strategy for nursing and midwifery in England. Ms Nyanin also listened to concerns about the current challenges facing nursing students.
The virtual roundtable, chaired by Ms Nyanin and RCN Deputy Chief Nurse Lucy Muchina, featured discussions around financial hardship for students, career development opportunities and job vacancies for newly registered nurses (NRNs).
The professional strategy – announced as part of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan for England – will focus on reducing student attrition and increasing the time students spend in community and social care settings.
RCN student members shared their views on both the opportunities and barriers that should be addressed by the strategy, and on wider issues affecting student nurses and NRNs. Topics included placement pressures, the need for agile learning that reflects the modern nursing role, financial stress, and the integration of health promotion into the curriculum.
She emphasised the importance of involving nursing staff in the strategy, drawing on the breadth and depth of expertise across the profession, including students and NRNs.
The strategy needs to consider changing population health needs, generational differences in expectation and demands, and delivering more inclusive care in communities, she said. It should also address global challenges, such as climate change, environmental health, emerging infectious disease and conflict, with the nursing profession leading those conversations.
Ms Nyanin also outlined the 10 areas the strategy will focus on, including prevention and health promotion, working in neighbourhoods and communities, and education reform.
Lucy said: “This event was about the RCN raising the voice of students with NHS England, confronting current obstacles and shaping long-term solutions. If the government want to see the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan for England, and a professional strategy to equip the workforce, they must listen to the student voices and respond.
“Student voices are critical when we’re shaping the system – they are the nurse leaders of the future, and this strategy needs to sustainably meet their needs. Their strength is central to driving meaningful change.”