NURSING students at Notre Dame University say their degrees have descended into chaos, with placements “all over the place” and little communication, while the National Tertiary Education Union describes the institution as being “in crisis”.

The National Tertiary Education Union has written to the university’s board demanding urgent intervention.

“Notre Dame is facing an existential crisis and the board needs to treat it that way,” WA division secretary Scott Fitzgerald said.

“More than 200 staff have signed this open letter, sending a clear message that urgent action is needed.

“Student satisfaction has collapsed catastrophically. Nursing enrolments have been suspended because of an accreditation scandal. Staff morale is at historic lows. 

“At what point does management admit deep systemic issues?

“Staff have the expertise and the answers. Instead management keeps hiring external consultants. 

“The failure to draw on the university’s most precious resource speaks volumes about their approach.

“Notre Dame was built on the principle that decisions get made with the people they affect. That principle has been abandoned, and staff, students and the community are paying for it.

“We need an urgent board intervention. Develop a plan, consult staff, publish it with clear timelines and accountability. The institution is in crisis.”

Second-year nursing student Rose* said the situation around professional placements had left students confused, anxious and unable to plan their lives.

“Pracs in semester 1 and 2 have been all over the place and this semester has been the same,” she told the Herald.

“Many of us didn’t get one, and we’ve been in the dark for two or three weeks.”

Adding to her stress levels, Rose had missed two days from her previous professional placement due to a medical emergency and was told she will have to make the time up with a two- or four-week placement over summer. 

But with her third semester placement seemingly delayed to the same time period, she fears there won’t be an adequate break before classes return. Organising work over the semester break will also be difficult.

The sister of another student contacted the Herald over a similar situation.

“My sister missed one day from her last practical and has now been allocated a two-week prac (80 hours!) just to make up for her one sick day,” she wrote.

Rose said she called the university to try and get more information and was told to send an email. 

When she didn’t get a response, she went to the Professional Practice department, only to find the doors had been locked for two days. 

“There’s no information; people have been left in the dark,” she said.

“It week 10; how has the last 10 weeks been used and how have we come to the same situation.”

Rose says a Zoom meeting organised by the university provided little information. One participant tried to unmute to ask a question and was cut off by the facilitator.

“That just set the tone for the whole meeting,” she said.

Rose says like many of her classmates she’s been thinking of transferring to another university, but she’s been unable to get copies of her academic transcripts [marks] for last year, and without them the classes she’s taken won’t count.

“I have been trapped in my uni, but I’m at the point I would rather do the extended time in a new degree rather than stay here.

“I’m not usually vocal or angry, this is the first time in my life I have been anxious.

“In labs and processional class it’s the only thing people are talking about, and they aren’t progressing because they can’t concentrate on other things.”

The university said it was managing a complex placement system across hundreds of students.

“The University of Notre Dame coordinates approximately 15,000 weeks of practicum placement for students each year, with students building their skills in health settings in aged care, mental health, hospitals and other health settings,” it said in a statement to the Herald.

“We have recently communicated with more than 800 students to provide advice about the timing and location of their mid-year and end-of-year pracs.

“Some of these students will undertake a placement in the May to July practicum period, and the remainder will be allocated a placement in the October to February practicum period.

It said missed hours needed to be made up in structured blocks.

“Placements require ward inductions, staff preparation and other operational and resourcing arrangements – and as a result, a four-week block of practicum hours is usually the minimum provided by our clinical partners.

“The number of students seeking metropolitan placements is greater than the number of metropolitan placements available.

“We absolutely understand students who feel frustrated or annoyed about being asked to delay their nursing practicum placement or being allocated a location that is not their first preference.

by STEVE GRANT