Don't spend, eat less, save more: Responses to the financial stress experienced by nursing students during unpaid clinical placements

Deanna Grant-Smith; Laura de Zwaan

doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2018.12.005

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Don't spend, eat less, save more: Responses to the financial stress experienced by nursing students during unpaid clinical placements

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Don't spend, eat less, save more: Responses to the financial stress experienced by nursing students during unpaid clinical placements

Deanna Grant-Smith and Laura de Zwaan

Nurse Education in Practice, Vol.35, pp.1-6

2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2018.12.005

PMID: 30616068

Abstract

Clinical placement

Financial resilience

Financial stress

Personal finance

Using an online survey, this study explored the impact of participation in unpaid clinical placements on the financial wellbeing of 160 nursing students attending an Australian university. The research found that the majority of respondents struggle financially during clinical placements, yet are financially adequate or secure outside of semester or during normal periods of study. Increased transport costs and loss of income are the most significant financial stressors during this time, with additional meals, work-appropriate clothing, purchasing additional resources and materials, and childcare costs other causes of financial stress. Most students used savings, budgeting, borrowing, and changed expenditure patterns to cope with the financial impact of unpaid placement. These findings have important implications for the ability of students to successfully complete their nursing degree and draw into question the equity of unpaid clinical placements as a formal degree requirement. However, while participation in unpaid clinical placements can impact financial well-being in the short term, participation does have the potential to increase the financial resilience of students over time, as students learn and grow from these experiences. To achieve this, however, greater attention must be placed on the financial support and personal finance education available for nursing students.

Details

Title: Don't spend, eat less, save more: Responses to the financial stress experienced by nursing students during unpaid clinical placements
Authors: Deanna Grant-Smith (Corresponding Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Laura de Zwaan - Griffith University
Publication details: Nurse Education in Practice, Vol.35, pp.1-6
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Date published: 2019
DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2018.12.005
ISSN: 1873-5223
PMID: 30616068
Grant note: This work was financially supported by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, Perth, Australia.
Organisation Unit: School of Business and Creative Industries
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991016185602621
Output Type: Journal article