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The clinical placements of more than 2,000 student nurses and midwives will be suspended for at least two weeks in order to free qualified supervisory personnel for front-line tasks in hospitals.
Sources confirmed that the HSE contacted the Health Department last night seeking temporary suspension of placements, which could leave hundreds of experienced nurses and midwives currently supervising students at institutions across the country free to help cope. with record levels of Covid-19. hospital admissions.
It is understood that some hospitals have already suspended student placement for these reasons.
During the first wave of Covid-19, nursing students became Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) and were paid as such.
However, sources said that HSE had informed the Department that it did not want unskilled students to be transferred “en masse” to HCA positions, as what was really needed were experienced and qualified staff.
They said that nursing students and midwives will continue to receive all current subsidies, including Pandemic Unemployment Pay, where the student in question is eligible after being forced to leave a part-time job to avoid cross infection.
Some of the students receive Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) scholarships, while others also receive a travel / accommodation allowance of € 50 per week if they have to be away from home during a stay.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization (INMO) seeks clarity on the announcement.
In a statement issued tonight, INMO Secretary General Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “This is [a] A last minute decision and greater clarity are needed. Students have been put in incredibly risky situations without pay and with weakened protections.
“Those [fourth-year] interns who are asked to continue working should be appropriately valued. At the beginning of the pandemic, their salary was increased to take into account the risks and workload they faced. The minister must do the right thing and reestablish that policy. “
The issue of payment for nursing students doing clinical internships became a political controversy in the lead-up to Christmas, amid concerns that they were being exploited and used as unpaid labor rather than being present in a “supernumerary” capacity for training purposes.
A report by Dr. Tom Collins before Christmas recommended that students receive a Pandemic Placement Grant of € 100 per week net of tax during hospital placements.
Sources said the payment is not being disbursed yet, as union acceptance of Collins’ proposals is expected.
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