'Big relief': regional nurses excited as 'placement poverty' to be tackled

"Amazing" and a "big relief" are how the students have described the federal government's announcement of the new "prac payment" which is eligible for teachers, nurses, midwives and social workers.

This new payment would provide around 68,000 eligible higher education students and more than 5000 VET students each year with $319.50 per week during their clinical placement periods.

First year bachelor of nursing student Ella Birtles said even though she was "new" she was worrying about her placements.

"The fact that I live in Echuca and I already have to travel to Bendigo to study, knowing that I might have to travel somewhere like Swan Hill or Mildura and have to find accommodation - and pay for everything and take time off work - is a real challenge," she said.

"To have no income, to dip into my savings, you've got to pre-prep for that time.

"So this new incentive of possibly being able to be paid for your placement is just going to be amazing and just a big relief to help you with those financial struggles."

Education minister Jason Clare said the payments would help ease "placement poverty".

"Placement poverty is a real thing," Mr Clare said.

"I have met students who told me they can afford to go to uni, but they can't afford to do the prac.

"Some students say prac means they have to give up their part-time job, and that they don't have the money to pay the bills."

Assistant Minister for Health Ged Kearney knew first hand the financial burden placements could have.

"My own daughter was a teacher and she was renting here in Bendigo [and studying] at La Trobe, but had to do a clinical placement in Wangaratta," she said.

"She had to pay $1600 in rent as well as cover the rent for her house here in Bendigo.

"Now that sort of financial barrier is enormous to a lot of people, so this is going to go over $300 a week to students to help them with those clinical placements."

Nursing and midwifery student Lily Davidson said being paid for placements was a "game-changer", and would help people like her who wanted to study and work regionally.

"Being able to have that payment for travel and the accommodation is honestly so exciting," she said.

Ms Davidson was studying a double degree, which meant she had one year more than nursing students and more placements.

"I wasn't even aware of the degree of placements for double degree students and once I became aware of that, I was a little bit taken aback," Ms Davidson said.

"But I know that it's necessary to make really good nurses and midwives.

"It makes me excited to think that I can be doing these placements in more remote places and providing the care where it is most needed - where we have the least nurses and the least GPs."

Murray Public Health Network chief executive Matt Jones said he hoped the placement payments would encourage more people to join - and stay in - regional healthcare.

He said placements required a lot of travel and were disruptive to part-time employment and other parts of students' lives.

"So not only is it disruptive, but it's also a financial impediment," he said.

"People choose not to follow that training pathway, or drop out because they can't afford to continue it."

The payments, as well as other incentives including HELP and HECS caps and upskill scholarships, would result in more people choosing to work in health care.

"These are really important bundled solutions that address some of the barriers, and those barriers are really felt most significantly in regional areas," he said.