Nurses skipping meals, going into debt to pay for their training
Posted 24 January 2024 - 09:00
Many nurses are paying for their own mandatory training from loans or savings as employers fail to do so, says report
A third of nurses and care workers are skipping meals and getting into debt to pay for their training, according to a new report.
Results from a survey of 252 front-line nurses and 253 care workers also found that 31% of respondents had taken out a loan and 29% had taken money out of their savings to pay for training required for work.
The survey, carried out by healthcare education startup FuturU, also found around 42% were paying for their own training, costing an average of £5,660 a year.
The report said the findings paint 'a deeply worrying picture of how training is being funded’ as it revealed that only 54% of both permanent and agency workers are having necessary training to keep their skills up-to-date paid for by their employer.
It added: ‘Training needs to drastically change. Nurses and care workers are hungry for more comprehensive and tailored training programmes that do not break their own or their employers’ budgets.
Mandatory training should be paid for by employers and done during work time, says RCN
‘It is wrong that employees are spending their own money, and in some cases going into debt, simply to pay for training. For many, this often means they have to dip into their savings in order to survive, or worse, struggle to afford basic necessities like food or heating.’
Mandatory training is determined by an organisation for the safe and efficient delivery of services, and could include clinical record keeping, hand hygiene and training on sexual and domestic violence awareness.
The RCN says mandatory training should be paid for by the employer and undertaken during work time. Your employer may require you to attend training or updates on days you are not working but you should be given the equivalent time off to compensate, information on the RCN website states.
Nurses may also find themselves having to pay for non-mandatory training
However, bank and agency staff in particular are not always given this agreement in their contract, and nurses may find themselves having to pay their own way for other non-mandatory training.
FuturU chief executive Michael Manuccia said: ‘Nurses and care workers have dedicated their lives to helping others, but we’re asking them to take on more work, with fewer people, in the most challenging conditions.
‘On top of that, we’re expecting them to take on the economic burden of a health and social care education and often finance it with debt. It’s no wonder that so many people are leaving the sector.’
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