New flexible learning route to becoming a Nursing Associate with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Posted on 22 July 2021 • Health

London residents can now take advantage of a new route into healthcare thanks to a partnership between The Open University and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust – one of the country’s largest NHS Trusts.

The London-based trust, together with the OU, is offering a Foundation Degree in Nursing Associate Practice, which is part-sponsored (the Trust is fully funding the second year’s tuition fees), and delivered through the OU’s flexible online learning and practice based learning at the Trust.

A nursing associate is a fairly new healthcare role in England. They bridge the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses and play a major role in supporting both. They help deliver care under the supervision of a registered nurse.

Jan Webb, the OU’s Associate Head of School, Nursing and Health Professions, School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care, said: “It’s exciting to be working with Imperial College Healthcare in an innovative way of developing nursing associates for the organisation, providing flexible education to support the Trust to develop a sustainable local workforce.”

Jan Goldsmith, the Trust’s Lead Nurse for Education and lead for the Nursing Associate Programme, said: “We are delighted to give members of our local communities the opportunity to begin a career in nursing with us.

“We are one of the biggest NHS trusts in the country with a fantastic tradition in nursing practice, education and research.”

Two annual enrolment opportunities

Annually, the OU will work with the trust to offer two enrolment opportunities for cohorts of up to 26 London-based applicants.  It’s a scheme that will run for the next five years. The first applicants will be interviewed in August for a start date in the autumn of this year.

The OU’s Jan Webb added: “This is a unique partnership that is reaching out to the London community and one that we are able to deliver at scale. It sits fairly and squarely within our core values of offering education to all.

“Some of the people accessing this course will have never had the opportunity to enter Higher Education, so it’s exciting that the OU will have such a hand in shaping their future careers. The OU’s flexible learning model also opens up a career route to those who need to fit their learning around personal commitments – such as part-time work, family life or caring responsibilities.”

To be eligible to apply for this opportunity, applicants must live within the London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham; Westminster; Kensington and Chelsea; Brent; Harrow; Ealing; Hillingdon; Wandsworth; Camden; Hounslow; Richmond upon Thames; Barnet; Lambeth or Islington, or be able to provide evidence of relocation prior to the course start date. Visit our website for more details about the programme entry requirements at open.ac.uk/courses/choose/imperial-nursing.

What’s on offer

Students will have:

• Practice based placements within Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust who will support their practice based learning and provide receive dedicated support from their nursing education teams
• The second year of their tuition fees paid for by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• A guaranteed offer of a registered nursing associate post at one of the Trust’s hospitals when they successfully complete the programme and register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Nursing Associate
• The opportunity to work in the trust’s staffing bank as a healthcare support worker during the programme

If you live in the London boroughs mentioned, visit open.ac.uk/courses/choose/imperial-nursing to apply.