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

An editorial is presented the issue of placement poverty among healthcare professional students, particularly nursing students, and its detrimental effects on their well-being and educational progress. Topics include the impact of financial stressors on student anxiety and burnout, the challenges facing the nursing workforce in Australia amid and post-COVID-19, and the broader implications of these issues for the quality of healthcare delivery and workforce sustainability.