Nursing Associate - Information for the Employer

As part of our changing nursing and care workforce, Nursing Associate Apprenticeships are now available.

What is a nursing associate?

The nursing associate is a new health care role the Department of Health has introduced in England. The role is designed to bridge the gap between health care assistants (HCAs) and Registered Nurses.

Why has this new role been created?

The Department of Health created the nursing associate role to be an important role in its own right and will have several benefits. These include providing a route into nursing and a career ladder for the health care support workforce; enhancing the quality of hands-on care offered by the support workforce through defined funded training and development, and strengthening the support available to nursing staff, releasing them to focus on care planning and management, advancing their practice and using their high level skills.

Employing Nursing Associates

As an employer you’ll want to know how you can train and use nursing associates, as well as what support and information is available to help you make decisions about how the new role can be used in different health and care settings.
Following the Shape of Caring review in 2015, a gap in care provision was identified between the roles of health care assistants and registered nurses. Health Education England, which shapes the training and education of healthcare professionals in England, has been developing the new role to fit into the existing workforce, and the NMC Council released an early working draft of the Nursing Associate Standards of Proficiency, and also released an early working draft of the skills annexe.

Nursing Associate Apprenticeship

The nursing associate apprenticeship standard has been approved is now available for use. Apprenticeships must be delivered with the involvement of an NMC approved education institution for pre-registration nursing. The cost of an Apprenticeship is funded by your employer, and anyone can become an Apprentice, providing they meet the entry requirements for the programme and their employer supports their application and believes they are capable of the academic learning required.

Detailed below are some of the key points relating to the role and the training programme:

Training provider:

Local Training Providers are;

Non-levy Provider: Open University

Levy Provider: University of Worcester

Level of Qualification

Foundation Degree via a higher apprenticeship training route

Duration

2 years for staff working 37.5 hours. This is likely to be extended proportionately for part time workers.

Salary costs

This is dependant on your employer. Apprentices must be paid whilst undertaking an apprenticeship.  Employers set their own pay rates.  Salary costs throughout the duration of the two-year period will need be met by the employing practice.

Training costs

The Apprenticeship would cost a non-levy paying organisations eg GP Practices 5% of the training costs i.e. £750.

Apprenticeship levy paying organisations eg Hospitals - The training costs are £15,000 per trainee which can be funded from apprenticeship levy digital vouchers.

Financial support from Health Education England

Health Education England is supporting this with a tariff payment of £3,200 and with continuation of the additional infrastructure payment of £4,000 per trainee. 

For more infomation see the following link to letter DoNs_Trainee Nurse Associates 2019/20

Training model

Apprenticeships are tightly defined in law as combining practical training in a job with study. Apprentices need to be employed on a contract of employment which covers the anticipated length of the apprenticeship and will require a minimum of 20% off the job training. The delivery model will be agreed in conjunction with the training provider.

Minimum working hours

Further discussion will be required with the training provider about minimum working hours; however it is likely that this will be a minimum of 30 hours per week. Part time courses are available.

  • Alternative placements

The Trainee Nursing Associate role will include compulsory rotation to various health and social care settings across the Herefordshire and Worcestershire STP footprint. This is to ensure that trainees all experience working in ‘hospital’, ‘close to home’ and ‘at home’ settings.

Entry requirements

Have an employment contact with an organisation within the Herefordshire and Worcestershire STP and have support from their manager to undertake this programme.

  • GCSE English and Maths Grades A-C (or equivalent Level 2 functional skills). The Open University can provide free English and Maths support for potential trainees who need help to achieve these entry requirements.
  • Demonstration of the ability to study at Level 5 Diploma of Higher Education Level and commit to completing the Foundation Degree programme.
  • Committed to continued employment and building a career in health and social care within.
Key results areas

The key result areas for the role are that the Trainee Nursing Associate will:
Deliver high quality, compassionate care under the direction of a Registered Nurse (or other registered healthcare professional dependent on setting)

  • Work as part of a designated clinical and care team delivering care that focuses on the direct needs of the individual
  • Carry out specific delegated clinical and care tasks and responsibilities to a high standard and competency
  • Work with a Practice Assessor/Supervisor to take responsibility for developing own clinical competence leadership and reflective practice skills
  • Develop by the end of the programme the ability to work without direct supervision, at times delivering care independently in line with the individual’s defined plan of care within parameters of practice of the Nursing associate role.