Vol. 435 No. 9
83 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to improve the situation for psychiatric nurses who are to be dismissed after three years of study in a hospital (details supplied) in the Eastern Health Board region while the same health authority is to take in another 25 students; and the progress that has been made with SIPTU representatives in negotiations in this matter.
As the Deputy will be aware, the hospital concerned is a training hospital for psychiatric nurses. The psychiatric nurse training programme lasts three years or 156 weeks and the hospital has an intake of new students every year.
The 1990 intake of student nurses, most of whom commenced their training on 8 October 1990, have now completed their training programme and those who register with An Bord Altranais will be eligible to seek employment as qualified psychiatric nurses in all psychiatric units throughout the country. It is understood from the Eastern Health Board that all 19 students involved are being provided with post-registration work experience by the hospital concerned on a part-time or job-sharing basis until the end of the year when the situation will be reviewed. A new group of students commenced the three year programme on 18 October 1993.
The relationship between all training hospitals and their student nurse intakes ends with the completion of the three year training programme. This is essential to the continuity of training in these hospitals and, more generally, to ensure a steady supply of trained nurses to the health services.
