• Undergraduate
  • Apprenticeship

Nursing Associate

FdSc Level 5
Next steps
Contact us
Overview

Overview

The nursing associate role is a generic role (not defined by a field of nursing) but within the discipline of nursing. Nursing associates are intended to bridge a gap between health and care assistants, and registered nurses.

Nursing associates provide care for people of all ages and from different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. They provide care for people who have mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural care needs, those living with dementia, the elderly and for people at the end of their life. They must be able to care for people in their own home, in the community or hospital or in any health care setting where their needs are supported and managed. They work in the context of continual change, challenging environments, different models of care delivery, shifting demographics, innovation and rapidly evolving technologies. Increasing the integration of health and social care services will require nursing associates to play a proactive role in multidisciplinary teams.

Nursing associates contribute to the promotion of health, health protection and the prevention of ill health. They do this by empowering people and communities to exercise choice, take control of their own health decisions and behaviours and supporting people to manage their own care where possible. They interact with a variety of service users, families and carers, and with an extensive range of health and care professionals and other agencies including social services, police, probation, prisons, housing, education, language interpreters and third sector agencies. They might be working in health, social care or public health provider and may work various shift patterns which enable care to be provided 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days of the year. This is a new role and it is expected that nursing associates will become a key part of the team to meet the integrated health and care needs of patients and service users.

The confidence to apply knowledge and skills and provide evidence-based, direct nursing care, therefore, lies at the centre of all nursing associate practice.

Nursing associates must be emotionally intelligent and resilient individuals, able to manage their own health and well-being, recognise boundaries of their practice and know when and how to access support.

This higher apprenticeship course, approved by the NMC, is offered at our Berkshire Institute for Health in the heart of Reading and at our West London (Ealing) campus. Please select your preferred location below when applying.

A smiling nurse on a hospital ward

Select a start date below to see relevant course information:

Start date:

View apprenticeships standards End Point Assessment
Locations this course is taught at:
Berkshire Institute for Health
West London Campus (also offered in Reading)
Requirements

Requirements

Requirements for apprentices

The entry requirements are as follows:

1. Eligibility (encompassing residency), Job Role and Sponsorship

All apprenticeships starting from 1 August 2021:

Eligibility is subject to Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Apprenticeship Funding Rules. Over the duration of the apprenticeship, you must meet the eligibility requirements in place at the time, including:

  • Have the right to work and study in England
  • Spend at least 50% of your working time in England; and
  • Are a UK citizen and have been ordinarily resident for the last three years in the UK or meet one of the following immigration statuses:

UK and Irish Nationals: have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for the three years before the first day of the start of the apprenticeship.

EEA nationals: have either pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme; and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA, Gibraltar, or the UK for at least the previous three years before the first day of the start of the apprenticeship.

*Non-EEA nationals: you are eligible if you have permission from the UK government to live in the UK, (not for educational purposes) and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the first day of the start of the apprenticeship.

* You must meet the UK government’s eligibility criteria for apprenticeship funding: 

Where an applicant for an apprenticeship does not hold a UK passport as a British citizen, these requirements state that you must have an immigration permission in the UK that allows you to study and will cover the length of the whole apprenticeship in full without you needing to extend your visa or immigration permission during the apprenticeship.

Please check the guidance for further clarification, particularly for information on:

  • Family members of UK and EEA nationals
  • Individuals with certain types of immigration status and their family members
  • Asylum seekers
  • Other immigration status.

You can also contact the Student Admissions Team admissions@uwl.ac.uk if you require further clarification.

You must also:

  • be employed in a health or social care organisation as a healthcare assistant or equivalent and be working full-time (minimum of 30hrs per week).
  • have a sponsoring manager and support from your employing organisation to ensure commitment (including release to attend off-the-job training). Your employer will also need to commit to your protected learning and supernumerary status.
2. Academic requirements

You will:

  • Hold on entry (and be able to provide evidence of this) - GCSE Mathematics and English Language Grade 9-4 OR Level 2 Mathematics and English Functional Skills or ESFA compliant equivalent.
3. Evidence of character and health

All offers are subject to:

  • A satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
  • Occupational health clearance
  • A minimum of 1 satisfactory character reference from suitable referee (i.e. line manager)
  • All of the above are undertaken and funded by the employer. We will require confirmation the required checks have been completed and are satisfactory.
4. Motivation

You should demonstrate motivation, interest, and insight into the requirements of the apprenticeship and be able to clearly articulate a rationale for choosing the nursing associate course (to be evidenced via the individual interview).

5. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

You are invited to apply for RPL to the course leader.

  • For non-registered NMC nurses, this will be a maximum of up to 50% of the course.
  • For NMC registered nurses without restrictions on their practice, RPL/credit transfer may exceed 50%

All requests will need to be reviewed and ratified by us and approved by the associated external examiner, prior to the start of the apprenticeship.

Course detail & modules

Course detail & modules

The overall course content is based on 6 key themes which reflect the 6 Platforms in Standards of proficiency for nursing associates (NMC, 2018).

These are:

  1. Being an Accountable Professional
  2. Promoting Health and Preventing Ill Health
  3. Provide and Monitor Care
  4. Working in Teams
  5. Improving Safety and Quality of Care
  6. Contributing to Integrated Care

You can expect the learning, assessment and practice experiences to become more challenging as the apprenticeship progresses.

Compulsory modules

  • Personal Health and Wellbeing

    The aim of this module is to explore personal health and wellbeing and how this might impact on your ability to meet physical and mental health care needs.

  • Science Underpinning Safe and Effective Nursing Practice

    The aim of this module is to introduce the biological and behavioural sciences. This is related to health and wellbeing across the lifespan and knowledge and understanding in these areas applied to nursing care.

  • Understanding Health and Illness

    The aim of this module is to introduce key concepts of health and illness and the influences that impact on individual, family and population health and wellbeing. 

  • Accountability and Professionalism for Nursing Associates

    The aim of this module is to develop the self-awareness essential for practicing with integrity and the ability to self-manage and develop.

  • Foundations of Evidence for Nursing Practice

    The aim of this module is to introduce key knowledge and skills to support the identification, use and implementation of evidence to underpin nursing and healthcare interventions and professional practice. 

  • Part 1 Nursing Associate Practice

    The aim of this module is to ensure learners are able to meet the requirements for progression into the second year of the course. Experience in practice learning will include a variety of healthcare environments. You will be supervised and assessed by appropriately qualified and prepared clinical staff to achieve this.

  • Personal Effectiveness for Professional Nursing Associate Practice

    The aim of this module is to further develop personal effectiveness and apply reflexive skills to develop resilience in the context of current healthcare practice.

  • The Science of Nursing Decision-Making

    The aim of this module is to develop the knowledge and skills gained in Year 1 underpinning patient assessment, which informs clinical decision making.

  • Leadership and Team Working for Nursing Associate Practice

    The aim of this module is to develop an appreciation of the value of leadership and team-working, and the skills to practice collaboratively to build and maintain relationships through professional networking.

  • The Health Promoting Nursing Associate

    The aim of this module is to develop knowledge and skills to effectively promote health and prevent ill health, emphasising the key role of the nursing associate as a health promoter.

  • Evaluating Evidence for Translation into Nursing Practice

    The aim of this module is to develop the knowledge and skills required to locate and evaluate a body of research that explores clinical outcomes and/or patient experience. You will also assess the system and contextual issues that facilitate or hinder knowledge translation.

  • Part 2 Nursing Associate Practice

    The aim of this module is to ensure learners are able to meet the requirements for completion of the course. Experience in practice learning will include a variety of healthcare environments. You will be supervised and assessed by appropriately qualified and prepared clinical staff to achieve this.

Teaching & learning

Teaching & learning

A mixed group of nursing students on the ward dressed in blue uniforms

The Foundation Degree (FdSc) Nursing Associate component will be delivered over two years, plus up to one month for the apprenticeship End Point Assessment (EPA).

As an apprentice at UWL, you will be using our simulation facilities at either our West London (Brentford) or Berkshire Institute of Health (Reading) campus.

Simulation is integrated with both the theory and practice components of your apprenticeship. It is led by academic staff and may include practice partners and service users/carers. The use of simulation techniques will help to accelerate the development of your clinical skills, and offers you the opportunity to contextualise and apply your learning.

a class of student nurses gather around a bed

The Nursing Associate (NMC 2018) Apprenticeship is designed to:

  • prepare you for registration with the NMC as a nursing associate, support you to achieve a Foundation Degree level qualification and meet the requirements of the Nursing Associate (NMC 2018) Apprenticeship ST0827
  • enable you to develop the confidence to apply knowledge and skills and provide evidence-based, direct nursing care. You will also learn to be emotionally intelligent and resilient individuals, able to manage your own personal health and well-being, recognise boundaries of your practice and know when and how to access support.
  • help you develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to be competent and job-ready to meet and sustain the needs of the healthcare economy both locally and nationally.

This will be achieved through different styles of learning both within the University and through work-based learning in practice. You will take responsibility for your own learning via a Record of Progress recorded on our on-line platform (CampusPress). The teaching and learning methods employed will include:

  • blended learning (learning in the classroom; learning in practice and learning online)
  • learning in simulation and practice
  • learning from service users and carers
  • interprofessional Learning.
an empty hospital bed with a green blanket on it

Delivery of the apprenticeship will encompass:

Theory

Year 1 (Level 4)

  • x2 study days a week for 24 weeks = 360hours
  • Plus x2 additional study days = 15 hours
  • Plus 32hrs directed study time in external placements
  • Total contact hours = 407 hours
  • Plus completion of x1 workbook per year (course requirement) and independent learning

Year 2 (Level 5)

  • x2 study days a week for 24 weeks = 48 x 7.5hrs = 360hours
  • Plus x2 additional study days = 2 x 7.5 = 15 hours
  • Plus 32hrs directed study time in external placements
  • Total contact hours = 407hours
  • Plus completion of x1 workbook per year (course requirement) and independent learning
  • Total = 814hrs contact for the course
A mixed group of student nurses wearing blue uniforms
Practice

Year 1 (Level 4)

  • Protected learning time = 3 days/week for 24 weeks = 540 hours
  • External practice placement (supernumerary) = 8 weeks. 8 weeks x 33.5hrs (less 4 hours/week theory) = 268 hours
  • Total = 808hrs

Year 2

  • Protected learning time = 3 days/week for 24 weeks = 540 hours
  • External practice placement (supernumerary) = 8 weeks. 8 weeks x 33.5hrs (less 4 hours/week theory) = 268 hours
  • Total = 808hrs
Employer Weeks
  • You will be rostered as a member of staff, this is the period of time AL can be requested.
Two nursing students write notes
Protected Learning Days
  • These are undertaken in your own place of work (full shifts), during which you will be counted in the numbers.
  • On these shifts you will have a clearly identified Practice Supervisor/Practice Assessor, with whom you will have a touch point, to identity an appropriate learning goal. The Practice Supervisor/Practice Assessor will facilitate opportunities to achieve that goal and will provide feedback to you prior to the end of the shift in your Practice Assessment Document.
  • You will be required to record this activity and associated hours in your Ongoing Achievement Record (OAR).
External Practice Placements
  • External Practice Placement are organised by your employer, rather than us. 
  • These will be undertaken outside your usual area of work, it may be within your employing organisation or in an external organisation. You will undertake a diverse range of practice placements to meet the holistic needs of people of all ages, including children as outlined in Part 3: Standards for pre-registration nursing associate programmes (NMC, 2018).
  • You will be supernumerary, which means you will be supported to learn without being counted as part of the staffing required for safe and effective care in that setting.
  • On all shifts you will have an identified Practice Supervisor/Practice Assessor to facilitate learning.
  • You will record these hours in your Practice Assessment Document.

The UWL Foundation Degree (FdSc) Nursing Associate component will consist of 12 compulsory modules focusing on theory and practice. You will be required to complete a minimum of 814 direct contact theory hours and 1,616 hours of learning in practice.

A nurse on a hospital ward

How you will be assessed

Assessment and feedback are a fundamental part of your learning experience. Our assessment strategy been designed to support and enhance your learning, capabilities, skills and confidence.

Assessments used may include:

  • reflective essays
  • a personal and professional development portfolio
  • presentations
  • essays
  • workbooks
  • Practice Assessment Document (PAD) – assessment in practice
  • unseen examinations (multiple-choice and short answer)
  • case studies
  • literature reviews
  • simulated scenarios
  • peer assessment
  • on-line drug calculation tests.

We work closely with our practice partners to utilise authentic practice-based scenarios, which promote meaningful integration of theory and practice.

Assessment is designed to provide you with opportunities for formative (informal and developmental) support, prior to summative (formal) assessment.

Endpoint assessment

The End Point Assessment (up to 1 month), consists of the UWL Award Board and following this, us putting forward eligible apprentices to the NMC.

Costs & fees

Costs & fees

Costs for apprentices

Although there are no tuition fees payable by you as an apprentice, additional costs may be incurred which are outside of the apprenticeship levy funding. Please discuss additional costs directly with your employer.

It is important you consider any potential financial implications of commencing an apprenticeship course, prior to making an application. I.e. it may impact your ability to work as many unsociable hours as you would usually do/undertake bank work. Your employer will be able to provide more information regarding this, enabling you to make an informed decision.

Costs for employers

For employers, the costs of training your apprentice will usually be covered by the apprenticeship levy. Find out more about how apprenticeship funding works.

An apprentice must be working full time (minimum of 30hrs per week) and must be paid for all their off-the-job learning i.e. study days and supernumerary practice learning hours. This includes functional skills study days and exams, where the apprentice is taking these courses during their apprenticeship.

Teaching staff

Teaching staff

Study & career progression

Study & career progression

A nurse on a hospital ward

On successful completion, you will be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), as a Nursing Associate and will be awarded the Nursing Associate (NMC 2018) Apprenticeship certificate. 

Contact us

Contact us

Janet is wearing a smart stripey jacket and black top. She has pink lipstick and red-brown hair and is facing towards the camera.

Janet Rowson, Director of Apprenticeships

Please get in touch with Janet Rowson to find out more about working with the University of West London as a training provider.

Please get in touch with Janet Rowson to find out more about working with the University of West London as a training provider.

More information