A nursing student who missed placement shifts to be with her ill son is appealing to the NMC to introduce a 10% allowance of waived placement hours for compassionate reasons around the 2,300 practice hours required. After missing three 12-hour placement shifts in September to be at her five-year-old son George’s bedside when he was hospitalised, Ms Garner now fears she will struggle to complete her hours in time to qualify. She has 376 hours to complete by 15 December before she can qualify and start her new job as a paediatric critical care nurse in January 2025.