The suspension of clinical placements for over 2,000 student nurses is to be extended to at least 8 February, with a phased return depending on the healthcare setting.
As part of their degree courses, first, second and third-year nurses are obliged to do unpaid clinical placements in healthcare settings, or have clinical placements suspended - though some are entitled to a €50 per week allowance towards travel and accommodation expenses.
However, on Saturday, 16 January, as the pandemic intensified, the Department of Health announced that the clinical placements were being suspended for two weeks, to free up hundreds of staff supervising the placements for frontline duties.
The HSE had contacted the Department of Health seeking the temporary suspension.
SIPTU Industrial Organiser John McCamley confirmed that the union had been informed today that the two-week suspension has now been extended until at least 8 February, with a phased return after that date.
However, he said he had already been contacted by one student nurse who had been told that her clinical placement was postponed until 15 February.
During the first wave of Covid-19, student nurses were converted to Health Care Assistants (HCA) and paid as such.
However, sources said that during the current peak in Covid-19, the HSE had informed the Department that it did not want the unqualified students to be transferred "en masse" into HCA posts, as it was experienced and qualified staff that were actually needed.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation accused the Department of Health, the HSE and the education bodies of indecision, and of refusing to give student nurses absolute certainty about the status of their clinical placements.
A spokesperson noted that the placements had been cancelled late on a Saturday evening and were now being further suspended.
He pointed out that the students have not had their coursework restructured after the placements were postponed, and many were currently doing nothing, through no fault of their own.
He called for the reinstatement of the arrangements of last March, when the students were hired on temporary contracts as Healthcare Assistants.
