- Conference
- 2014 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 7 December 2013
- Decision
- Carried
The current pilot arrangements for aspiring student nurses to experience 12 months work in an HCA role are a knee jerk response to the Francis Report, and fail to fully take account of current experiential learning which many students experience prior to commencing their formal studies.
UNISON fully supports the principle of widening participation and recognises that prior experiential learning is beneficial to many health diplomas and degrees. However we believe that the current pilot is too narrow and doesn’t take into account the wide and differing pathways which currently exist. Prospective nursing students are facing increasing challenges from external interests: the effective closure of traditional university entry for mature people due to the operation of tuition fees, the proposed privatisation of this system, and other proposed policy targeting young people in particular. The initiative will do nothing for the demographic time bomb facing an ageing nursing workforce that needs urgent renewal.
Despite the reactionary nature of this policy, some good could be salvaged. We know that people with previous HCA work experience often thrive when given the opportunity to undertake nurse training. Such individuals frequently represent better value for money as they tend to demonstrate more loyalty to the service and work longer beyond completion of training. We also know that the advent of a Degree-only entry to the profession means that many aspiring students who would make excellent nurses are now excluded from commencing training.
Conference calls on the Health Service Group Executive to continue to make an assertive case to government, employers and NHS education commissioners that:
1)there is no need for an absolute requirement for 12 months HCA work prior to accessing NHS funding for training;
2)if there are to be such opportunities they should be reserved for students without the typical matriculation requirements, such that the period of employment at HCA grade represents a different entry route into nurse education, substituting for matriculation;
3)secondment opportunities for mature HCAs are maximised and a minimum number commissioned on an annual basis;
4)students who undertake HCA work for a year are guaranteed an interview for a nursing place upon completion of this period.