Nursing Associate Apprenticeship - Level 5 - University of Staffordshire

This is a new occupation introduced into the health and care workforce to bridge the gap between health and care assistants and registered nurses.

Nursing associate is a stand-alone role that will also provide a progression route into graduate level nursing. It’s intended that the role will enable registered nurses to focus on more complex clinical duties.

Nursing associates work in the public, independent and voluntary sectors and it is a statutorily regulated profession. The standards for proficiency are set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Successful completion of this apprenticeship will meet the education requirements for registration with the NMC. This standard covers the NMC Standards for Proficiency and Annexes A & B for nursing associates (October 2018).

The broad purpose of the occupation is to provide care for people of all ages and from different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. Nursing associates may provide care for people who have mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural care needs. They may provide care for people in their own home, in the community or hospital or in any health care settings where their needs are supported and managed.

Nursing associates work in the context of continual change, challenging environments, different models of care delivery, shifting demographics, innovation and rapidly evolving technologies. Increasing integration of health and social care services will require nursing associates to play an active role in multidisciplinary teams.

What will I achieve?

Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, you will achieve:

FdSc Nursing Associate
Nursing Associate Apprenticeship Certificate

You may be eligible to become a registered Nurse Associate with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

Location: Stoke-on-Trent campus, Centre for Health Innovation Stafford
Duration: 2 years
Start date(s): March and September

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Course content

In collaboration and agreement with partner organisations, the structure and delivery time will reflect the apprenticeship standard requirements and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards for pre-registration nursing associate programmes. The course will be delivered over 2 years with 12 months duration for each level of study (level 4 and 5).

The programme length in total is 2,300 hours and this provides an equal balance of theory and practice learning. These hours are those which are protected for learning, in theory and practice. Any hours which are not protected for learning, in which you are in effect working in your substantive place of work, do not count towards programme hours

Work Based/Placement learning

Trainee Nursing Associates are not required to have placements in each field of nursing. You will however, benefit from placement learning opportunities that will allow you to develop and meet the Standards of proficiency for nursing associates to deliver safe and effective care, to a diverse range of people, across the lifespan and in a variety of settings.

These placements will expose you to children and adults, and patients/service users with mental health conditions and learning disabilities. Through learning in external placements, you will gain an understanding of the most significant factors to be aware of when providing care to different types of service user.

Modules

The programme is made up as follows:

Year 1

Mental health and physical health through the lifespan
Professional, legal and ethical considerations for Nursing Associates
Care across the lifespan
Nursing Associates in Practice 1, 2, 3

Year 2

Altered mental health and physical health through the lifespan
Human factors, risk, decision making and uncertainty
Medicines, their management and application
Nursing Associates in Practice 4, 5, 6

End-point Assessment must be completed within 3 months following the completion of all course modules.

Entry requirements

To be eligible, apprentices will need to evidence the following:

Achievement of Level 2 Maths and English (GCSE, functional skills or equivalent) OR be demonstrating that you are functioning at Level 2 in both Maths and English, this would be determined by an initial assessment conducted by University of Staffordshire.

Fees

For levy-paying organisations the cost is paid from their digital account at a rate of £15,000.

For non-levy paying organisations there may be a financial contribution on 5% which equates to £750.

Delivery and assessment

Delivery

This is a vocational course that allows you to learn whilst you earn. You will remain an employee and attend university two days per week to build upon your, ‘on the job’ experience and learn about the theory that underpins your practice.

You will also be given protected learning time in external practice placements, enabling you to develop the breadth of experience required for this generic role. You will spend 20% of the total programme time in these external placement areas over the course of your apprenticeship.

Assessment

You will be assessed using a range of methods during your time as an apprentice, it is not just through writing assignments. The academic element is modular. This will mean you will be required to produce some written work but in recognition of the varied learning styles of adult learners and the outcomes required of a Nursing Associate, there are a variety of assessments within the course.

These include:

Observed practice
Oral presentations
Written assignments/essays
Reflective essays
Critical appraisal of own experience
Written examinations
Multiple choice question (MCQ) and Short answer question (SAQ) examinations
Numeracy examination
Assessment of practice learning - designed to reflect assessment of your development and indicate progression against the standards
Viva Voce

The practical element will be overseen by supervisors and assessors from the clinical area. These individuals will facilitate learning, guide, support, and assess the apprentice and monitor your progress within the clinical component of the course.

You will also have an academic assessor. These will liaise with the practice setting and be involved in monitoring your academic progression.

Learning support

In addition to the excellent support you will receive from your course teaching team, our central Academic Skills team provides group and one-to-one help to support your learning in a number of areas. These include study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills); written English (including punctuation and grammatical accuracy); academic writing (including how to reference); research skills; critical thinking and understanding arguments; and revision, assessment and examination skills (including time management).

Additional support

Our AccessAbility Services support students with additional needs such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties. You will also have full access to our support services such as Student Guidance.

Feedback

Examination feedback may take a variety of formats. However, as a minimum, generic feedback will be made available to all students who take written examinations.

Responsibilities

The employer must not ask the apprentice to contribute financially to the direct cost of learning
Ensure apprentices are given a minimum of 6 hours per week in off-the-job training
Enter into a contract with University of Staffordshire
Participate in reviews with the apprentice and university, providing evidence and feedback on progress at work and success in meeting apprenticeship milestones
Provide a safe, healthy and supportive environment, which meets the needs of the apprentice
Provide apprentices with a contract of employment for the duration of the apprenticeship on the first day of their apprenticeship and be paid at least a wage consistent with the law for both the time they are in work and in off-the-job learning
Provide the apprentice with paid time to attend off-the-job training, including additional support for English and Maths, or support accessed for learning difficulties and/or disabilities
Recognise that the apprentice must complete the apprenticeship within their working hours
Support the apprentice to gain new skills

A citizen of a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) or have the right of abode in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning
Able to complete the apprenticeship in contracted working hours
Be an employee (have a contract of employment for the duration of the apprenticeship) on the first day of their apprenticeship and be paid at least a wage consistent with the law for both the time they are in work and in off-the-job learning
Be in a new job role (nine months or less), or in an existing job role, where significant new knowledge and skills are needed - employer statement of justification needed (relevant to the apprenticeship)
Be in full time employment for a minimum of 37.5 hours a week
Has the right to work in England
Maintain a safe, healthy and supportive environment, which meets your needs
Not be enrolled on another apprenticeship at the same time
Participate in reviews with the employer and university, providing evidence and feedback on progress at work and success in meeting apprenticeship milestones

Administer the funding and running of the apprenticeship standard to an acceptable standard of quality and in compliance with the ESFAs requirements
Agree jointly between the university, the employer and apprentice, an individual learning plan (ILP) ensuring that satisfactory progress is achieved and to ensure that the contents of the ILP fulfil the requirements of the apprenticeship standard
Provide a safe, healthy and supportive learning environment, which meets the needs of the apprentice
Provide off-the-job learning and assessment and oversee the on-the-job skills development as detailed in the ILP
Provide support on the selection of the endpoint assessor, if applicable. The endpoint assessment will be completed by the learning provider for all integrated degrees

Careers

You will have access to Career Connect, our dedicated careers team who support you with professional branding, career mapping and realising your potential.

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