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The Nursing Associate Higher Apprenticeship is delivered in collaboration with healthcare employers to develop apprentices towards achieving registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Nursing Associate.
The Nursing Associate is a highly trained generic support role within the field of Nursing which acts as a ‘bridge’ between unregulated Healthcare Assistants (HCA) and Registered Nurses. Nursing Associates work under the leadership and direction of Registered Nurses to deliver care based on agreed plans.
Nursing Associates will have the breadth of knowledge and a flexible, transferable skill set to serve the health needs of local communities, covering both the full life span and a range of care settings. Nursing Associates need to be adaptable, reliable, and consistent. In addition, they are required to demonstrate resilience, self-awareness and leadership skills.
The Nursing Associate Higher Apprenticeship is suitable for the development of existing HCAs to advance into registered Nursing Associate roles. The programme can also be used to support external recruitment of new nursing associate apprentices to your organisation.
The Open University does not set any formal entry requirements other than those set by the NMC and Apprenticeship Standards. Employers are free to set their own additional criteria.
Applicants must demonstrate:
With a focus on holistic person-centred care, apprentices will develop and demonstrate effective interpersonal skills which meet service users’ needs and rights to be treated with dignity and privacy in a compassionate and caring manner. Based on the NMC (2018) Standards of proficiency for nursing associates, apprentices will study the theory and practice of topics such as:
We are a national provider with a local presence. Our apprenticeship programmes are supported closely by academic and practitioner colleagues who link with employers to provide on-going management of the programme delivery. The OU has the experience and support in place to help apprentices succeed and make a positive impact on practice.
In addition to a designated academic and professional lead for healthcare and account management support, we will deploy expert staff to support you and your apprentices:
The Open University has worked in partnership with healthcare employers for over 18 years to deliver highly successful work-based Nursing programmes. We offer:
Standard route: 2-3 years depending on start date
Extended route: 4-5 years depending on start date
For a more detailed look at our Nursing Associate Higher Apprenticeship, download our brochure.