With nursing students completing 1100 unpaid hours of placement over their 3 years of training, placement poverty is increasing. 

Many students are forced to quit their part time jobs to ensure they are able to attend all compulsory hours, resulting in students struggling to pay for basic necessities, such as rent, gas, utilities and groceries.

Rachel spoke to the New Zealand’s Nurses Organisation’s Kaiwhakahaere, Kerri Nuku, about the call for paid placements for nursing students to help end the placement poverty.