FE can help turn the tap on for nursing’s leaky pipeline

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has talked about the need to fix nursing’s leaky pipeline. It’s a useful way to describe the loss of people during training and throughout their careers, but it prompts another question. How can FE and college-based HE help turn the tap on fully?

For some aspiring nurses, the usual higher education route works well. Others need a different way in because they can’t relocate, have caring responsibilities or can’t absorb the costs of travelling long distances to study and attend placements. For some learners, successful progression depends on access to more intensive support and the benefits of smaller class sizes.

Some don’t even think university is a place for them, and this is where FE and college-based HE can make a real difference.