Australian nursing students struggle to complete training due to Covid restrictions

Thousands of nursing and disability care students across Australia are being prevented from completing clinical placements required to graduate due to pandemic restrictions and the furloughing of senior staff who supervise them.

With a severe shortage of healthcare workers, the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) said if the issue was not urgently addressed, an increasing backlog of nursing students will mean there are not enough trained nurses to staff aged care homes, general practices, and other settings.

A student completing her diploma of nursing through Tafe in Victoria told Guardian Australia she began studying her certificates in ageing support and disability in April 2019, and should have finished courses in May 2020.

She then applied for a diploma of nursing but has encountered the same issue. She should be close to completing her course, but has still not completed the placement hours required.

But Booth said more support is needed to expand the program and coordinate it nationally.

Providers are expected to pay students while they undertake their placement. The spokesperson did not say how many students had found industry placement through the program.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education, Skills and Employmentsaid that it is ultimately up to individual healthcare providers, and any state or territory public health orders, to determine student access to facilities and the appropriateness of work placements.