Nursing Associate (Nursing Associate Higher Apprenticeship)
Full-time
25 month
March 2025
In a nutshell
The Nursing Associate is a highly trained support role that delivers effective, safe and responsive nursing care in and across a wide range of health and care settings. This role will bridge the gap between a support worker and a Registered Nurse, providing a workforce for future healthcare. The programme is a two-year programme leading to a Nursing Associate Foundation Degree.
Nursing Associates will work independently and, as part of the healthcare team, deliver care in a range of primary, secondary, community and social care settings. In this role, you will deliver hands-on care, focusing on ensuring patients continue to get the compassionate care they deserve.
We scored 95% on the ‘Teaching on my Course’ category in the National Student Survey 2024.
At an Open Day, you'll talk to Programme Leaders, tour our facilities and attend one-to-one sessions with our team who will be on hand to answer all of your questions.
You will:
- Develop high quality, compassionate care under the direction of a Registered Nurse (or other registered health and social care professional).
- Work as part of a designated team delivering care that focuses on the direct needs of the individual.
- Learn in our purpose-built, state-of-the-art simulation suite facilities.
options available
This is for you if...
You want to care for patients in all fields of practice (adult, children and young people, mental health and learning disability)
You would like to work in various settings including acute, primary care, mental health and learning disability care
You want to work as a registered and regulated skilled professional within Health and Social Care
You are looking to develop the skills to work with patients of all ages from pre-conception to death
You want to be part of the workforce who deliver hands on care, bridging the gap between healthcare assistants and registered nurses, focusing on ensuring patients get the compassionate care they deserve
You are hard working and committed to improving the health and lives of people and communities
All about the course
The Nursing Associate programme combines and integrates both academic and work-based learning. A Nursing Associate apprentice will be based as an employee in a particular organisation and setting, but will experience working in a wide variety of care-giving settings in order to gain an appreciation of the many health and care contexts and fulfil all the requirements of the programme. You will work alongside qualified practice assessors and supervisors in practice learning areas.
Please note: you, your practice supervisor and practice assessors may work in areas where you will be expected to work on a bank holiday. If you are contracted to work on bank holidays, you will be expected to work the shifts allocated to you.
There are two distinct components to the higher apprenticeship – the academic programme and the work-based assessment. As the lead provider, the University is responsible for delivering the academic programme. The employer is responsible for delivering the work-based assessment components. The University and employer work closely with each other to:
- Assure that knowledge you gain on the programme is successfully applied in the workplace.
- Ensure that the standards and practices required to meet the professional competencies contained in the apprenticeship standard are adequately evidenced by you.
Apprentices will study six modules in total throughout the programme. The first year will comprise of modules that will allow apprentices to develop their professionalism, interpersonal skills and find out more about human anatomy, person-centred care, safeguarding and public health and health promotion. The second year of the programme will include modules that will develop apprentices' knowledge of long-term conditions, medication management, mentorship or coaching, service improvement and nursing interventions. Explore the specific modules below.
Foundations of Health and Wellbeing
This module will enable you to display a commitment to professional values, standards and ethical practice within the parameters of practice for your role. You will examine the theories & principles that underpin health & social care and you will learn to apply and promote safe and effective, person-centred nursing care.
Application of Skills to Support Health and Wellbeing 1
In this module, you will explore the principles of public health and develop skills in health promotion and preventative healthcare for individuals across the lifespan, communities and populations. You will develop knowledge and skills in identifying and managing safeguarding issues and risk assessment and management across the lifespan and develop knowledge of key body systems and apply this to key skills in routine care delivery.
Application of Skills to Support Health and Wellbeing 2
This module will enable you to advance your knowledge and skills of the principles of care delivery for the acutely ill person across the lifespan, whilst maintaining professional values, working within legal and ethical frameworks and parameters of practice. You will develop knowledge of how physical and psychological health are affected by ill-health and engage in holistic person-centred care planning.
Exploring Specific Health Issues
This module will provide you with the knowledge, clinical and care skills and attitudes & behaviours to provide holistic, patient centred care of mental and physical health across the life span. You will experience a range of opportunities to practice safe and effective nursing care for people with long-term conditions and you will develop the required knowledge and skills for the safe administration of medicines.
Preparation for Professional (NA) Practice
This module will enable you to explore your own role in relation to duty of care, equality & diversity and within the multidisciplinary team. You will understand and engage in the process of reflection for providing safe and effective nursing care across the lifespan and when faced with challenges. You will also explore clinical decision-making skills when prioritising care within a busy environment.
Developing and Changing Practice
This module will enable you to engage in research development & innovation to support evidence-based practice. You will develop your leadership skills to support your own and colleagues learning and assessment in practice.
Please note that it may not be possible to deliver the full list of options every year as this will depend on factors such as how many students choose a particular option. Exact modules may also vary in order to keep content current. When accepting your offer of a place to study on this programme, you should be aware that not all optional modules will be running each year. Your tutor will be able to advise you as to the available options on or before the start of the programme. Whilst the University tries to ensure that you are able to undertake your preferred options, it cannot guarantee this.
The School of Health and Society
The School of Health and Society is a forward-thinking, dynamic school with a commitment to lifelong learning and real-world impact.
Our courses are informed by the latest research, and we work closely with organisations from both the public and private sectors to ensure our teaching is at the forefront of practice.
Simulation Suites
Our Simulation Suites provide the opportunity to tackle real-life scenarios in a safe and supported environment. Designed like a hospital ward, the suites feature advanced patient simulators capable of mimicking a range of conditions, from the common cold to major heart issues. The equipment includes:
- Emergency Care Patient Simulators: Anatomically correct mannequins with a range of features for demonstrating clinical signs such as bleeding, breathing, blinking eyes, and convulsions.
- iStan Patient Simulators: Advanced simulators that add a human element to patient simulation, including movements, breathing, and sounds of pain, offering a more realistic practice experience.
- Pedia Patient Simulator: A detailed reproduction of a six-year-old child, ideal for practising paediatric scenarios.
- Baby Simulator: A mannequin designed to simulate interactions with infants, providing a safe and realistic learning environment for working with the most vulnerable patients.
All simulation equipment is connected to sophisticated computer and audio-visual systems, allowing groups of students to role-play various scenarios with a lab coordinator observing and managing the scenarios remotely. The computer equipment also offers detailed physiological information for each simulator, helping you develop both clinical and high-level communication skills essential for patient care.
What about after uni?
Completion of this course will prepare you with the practice experience and knowledge required to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Nursing Associate. You will gain experience and knowledge to work in all four fields of nursing (adult, children and young people, mental health and learning disability) and across the lifespan. You will also be able to work within a range of community, acute care, social and primary care settings within the NHS, public, private and voluntary sectors.
What you need to know
Healthcare is not a nine-to-five job. Neither is being a Nursing Associate apprentice.
The programme structure will be delivered to degree apprentices on a mix of part-time, day release and block delivery basis subject to agreement by the employer and the University.
In order to undertake this degree apprenticeship, you will need to be in full-time employment (minimum 30 hours a week), spending at least 50% of your time in England. You will need to be in a relevant role and your employer must be willing to support you through the programme. Search for degree apprenticeship roles with local employers.
The apprenticeship will run over approximately two years plus one month for the EPA. A minimum of 20% of the apprenticeship will be spent off the job with the employer or in University and the rest of the time will be spent in clinical practice. Apprentices will be expected to work the shift pattern in place within the clinical area they are working in.
Whilst on programme you need to be able to demonstrate an ability to study at diploma level with a commitment to complete a foundation degree programme. You also need to be able to demonstrate that you have capability to learn professional, personal, digital and technological behaviours, skills and attributes in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code.
English language requirements
Unfortunately, we are not able to recruit international students onto our Higher and Degree Apprenticeship programmes.
GCSE
You will need GCSE Maths and English at grade C/ grade 4 or above or equivalent Functional Skills level 2.
You must fulfil our GCSE entry requirements as well as one of the requirements listed below.
Experience
The Nursing Associate apprenticeship programme is for healthcare assistants or clinical support workers who are looking for a new challenge and an opportunity to develop and progress their career within healthcare.
Previous experience as a healthcare assistant or clinical support worker is desirable but not essential, however, you will need to demonstrate the commitment to undertake the challenge of a career in healthcare.
Accreditation of Prior Learning
An applicant who meets the General Entry Academic Requirements as well as further study at Level 4 or above can apply for recognition of prior learning up to a maximum of 50% of the programme. This maximum limit of 50% does not apply to applicants to pre-registration nursing associate programmes who are currently an NMC registered nurse without restrictions on their practice. Visit our Accreditation of Prior Learning webpage to find out more.
Salford Alternative Entry Scheme (SAES)
We welcome applications from students who may not meet the stated entry criteria but who can demonstrate their ability to pursue the course successfully. Once we have received your application we will assess it and recommend it for SAES if you are an eligible candidate.
There are two different routes through the Salford Alternative Entry Scheme and applicants will be directed to the one appropriate for their course. Assessment will either be through a review of prior learning or through a formal test.
How much?
The cost of the full degree apprenticeship programme is £15,000. The cost of the apprenticeship will be covered by your employer and/ or the government. You will need to cover the cost of any study materials plus travel to and from campus if required.
Apprenticeship Funding
The apprenticeship levy was introduced in April 2017 and requires all employers operating in the UK, with a pay bill of over £3 million each year to invest in apprenticeships.
The funding policy supports the changes to the way apprenticeships in England are paid for, underpinned by the apprenticeship levy of 0.5% of the annual pay bill for companies paying over £3 million per year.
There is also a co-investment model for companies who will not be paying into the levy. The government will cover 95% of the cost of the apprenticeship and the employer will only have to contribute the remaining 5%. Once payments have been declared to HMRC, employers will now have access to a digital apprenticeship account from which they will be able to access funding to pay for apprenticeship training.
The maximum amount of money allocated to each standard falls into one of 30 funding bands, ranging from £1,500 to £27,000. The Nursing Associate standard has been allocated the following funding band:
Funding band maximum: £15,000
ALL SET? LET'S APPLY
To apply for this programme, you must be employed in a relevant field (NHS, private Healthcare, etc.). Apprenticeship roles as Nursing Associates can be found on the links below:
www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
The application process is two-stage - you must apply to the NHS or other relevant healthcare organisation for your role first. Following this, the organisation will put you forward to the university, where you will have to apply to the apprenticeship programme via our online application form.
If you are already employed and want to apply for this apprenticeship, the first step is to speak with your organisation's apprentice lead. They will provide the funding and make initial contact with the Apprenticeship Services Unit at the university.
Information for employers:
If you want to support an employee on an apprenticeship programme, complete the contact form, or email apprenticeships@salford.ac.uk