COVID-19
Students will be employed by their local NHS health board.
Scotland is to offer third-year student nurses a band 4 wage if they pledge to help with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The news comes as the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) prepares an emergency register to bolster the number of front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter to eligible student nurses, Fiona McQueen, Scotland’s Chief Nursing Officer, confirmed that students would be employed by their local NHS health board, “initially at band 4” and “have the same terms and conditions as any NHS employee”.
The starting salary for a band 4 in Scotland is £22,700.
She also wrote; “I know that as a final-year student you are highly skilled, and you will be able to make a significant difference.
“I know that you will be anxious or unsure, and there are many of you who are in the category of people who need to be shielded rather than exposed. So this isn’t for everyone, and we will be working to minimise any disruption for those who cannot participate.”
She added; “Whatever your skills, if you feel able to be deployed there will be an opportunity for you if you want to take it up.”
According to the NMC; “the Covid-19 temporary register would be to establish a specific temporary register for nursing students in the final six months of their programme, which would have specific conditions on practice to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.”
“We will only consider asking student nurses whether they would like to join this emergency register if we believe that this is necessary to further benefit our health services and the people who use them.”
The arrangements for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are yet to be announced.
