Navigating workforce uptake, retention, and placement poverty amid cost of living challenges in Australia

The phenomenon of placement poverty profoundly affects students enrolled in healthcare professional education programs, with a notable impact observed within the nursing student population and other healthcare professional student populations. Financial stressors associated with placement poverty can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and overall psychological distress among students (Cheng et al., Citation2023). These stressors are known to contribute to burnout and worsen pre-existing problems students may face. Placement poverty not only impedes the educational journey of aspiring nurses, but also undermines the quality of healthcare delivery (Cao et al.,).