Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Health
Hospital Staff
Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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1586. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration is being given to introducing a tiered payments scheme for all student nurses and midwives (details supplied); if any similar proposals are being advanced to improve pay or bursaries for student nurses and midwives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1624/25]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Undergraduate nursing and midwifery programmes are 4 years in duration, with the exception of the Children’s and General Integrated Programme which is 4.5 years.
Mandatory supernumerary clinical placements occur for 45 weeks from year 1 of the programme right through to the first semester of year 4. Allocation to a clinical placement is driven by educational needs enabling the student to achieve stated learning outcomes. Clinical placements are generally between 12 to 15 weeks per year.
During years 1 – 3 of the programmes, and for a part of year 4, undergraduate student nurses and midwives complete clinical placements as supernumerary students; meaning their status as students is protected and they are not subject to missing essential learning time through working status. These students are not employees and are additional to the workforce in a learning capacity and are therefore not paid.
The final year internship placement for student nurses and midwives consists of a continual 36-week rostered clinical placement, including annual leave. The internship placement is a paid placement and individual student nurses and midwives are considered as 0.5 WTE of the workforce. This ensures reduced supervision remains in place to support final learning weeks. As these intern students receive a paid salary, they are not eligible for the travel and subsistence scheme which is designed specifically to support student nurses and midwives undertaking supernumerary clinical placements.
The enhanced travel and subsistence scheme for student nurses and midwives undertaking supernumerary clinical placement arose following recommendation from the McHugh Report, which was an examination of the existing arrangements regarding additional travel, subsistence and accommodation requirements of student nurses and midwives on clinical placement specifically. It is governed by the Department of Health Circular 4/2023: Payment of Clinical Placement Allowances to Undergraduate Supernumerary Nursing and Midwifery Students. .
Under this circular the enhanced scheme allows for students required to travel or avail of overnight accommodation to attend supernumerary placements to be reimbursed for these expenses. It also provides for an allowance of €500 per year during years 1-3 of the undergraduate programme as a targeted measure to contribute towards meeting the extra costs of meals associated with practice placements outside the student’s core placement site
Additional supports are also provided for students beginning their internships such as, the provision of two extra uniforms, a uniform laundry allowance where required, and re-instated pay at 80% of first year staff nurse/midwife pay scale.
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