Why you should read this article:

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To understand how nursing students’ new roles as paid employees were implemented during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

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To learn about nursing students’ experiences of ‘opting in’ to their new roles in clinical practice

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To inform and guide the implementation of such roles if these are required in the future

Offering nursing students an opportunity to undertake paid roles during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic supported the NHS workforce significantly at the peak of the public health crisis. In England, more than 18,700 nursing students chose to undertake these paid placements. This article reports the findings of a service evaluation that aimed to gain an understanding of students’ experiences as ‘aspirant nurses’ and ‘nurse support workers’ during the pandemic. The findings suggest that although their experiences were positive overall, there were some communication issues due to the rapid implementation of such a change in practice placements. The article provides valuable insights into nursing students’ experiences, and these can be used to inform the learning of practice placement providers.