O’Brien in favour of payment to student nurses

Date: 11/02/2011
Posted by: Darragh

The decision to review the abolition of clinical placement payments to student nurses has been welcomed by Dublin North TD Darragh O’Brien. Deputy O’Brien has been pressing the Department of Health, the HSE and the Tánaiste on this issue and hopes that the review will lead to the nurses receiving a payment.

“Student nurses play such an important role in our health service, across Dublin North and around the country,” said Deputy O’Brien. “I’m not happy to see their clinical placement payments cancelled and I think this places them in a very difficult position. These people provide great healthcare and support to our patients and they deserve to be rewarded for their work.”

“Student nurses on clinical placement are replacing staff nurses on a two-to-one ratio and doing the same duties and rosters as staff nurses. They deserve to be paid for that work.”

“I have made my strong feelings on this subject known to the HSE and the Department of Health and Children. I have been hearing first hand from some student nurses just how difficult their conditions are and I think we need to respect and support the magnificent contribution they make.”

“I’m glad that the Tánaiste in her role as Minister for Health and Children has ordered the Department to undertaken review of the rationale behind these pay conditions. I hope that this will lead to student nurses receiving more favourable treatment which reflects the hard but essential work they do,” Deputy O’Brien concluded.