Nursing associates work with healthcare support workers and registered nurses to deliver care to adult, children, mental health and learning disability patients in the NHS and in other health and social care settings.
It is a new role and ideal if you are looking to start your career in healthcare or if you are already employed in a relevant role and aspire to become a fully qualified, registered nurse.
The course is delivered as a Degree Apprenticeship, meaning you will study at UCW for one day per week during term-time and develop your skills in your workplace the rest of the time.
For employers, this course provides a fantastic opportunity to upskill staff and aid their development in becoming effective, degree-level practitioners, with plenty of support available throughout the process.
The Nursing Associate Degree Apprenticeship at UCW builds upon our proven track record in delivering Foundation Degrees in Health and Social Care and Integrated Mental Health and Social Care in partnership with UWE Bristol.
Our students and graduates are employed in a range of settings, from NHS trusts to smaller health and social care providers, and our brilliant lecturing team are all experienced in teaching students who work in demanding roles alongside their studies.
Our healthcare students and apprentices are taught at the modern University Centre in our Winter Gardens building on Weston seafront, meaning they have access to great new facilities and a dedicated higher education library, with practical studies sometimes taking place at our multimillion-pound Health and Active Living Skills Centre.
The facility, which is the first of its kind in the region and was opened in 2019 at our Loxton Campus, includes a fully-equipped simulation ward with high-tech patient mannequins, a therapy room and brilliant indoor and outdoor sport and exercise facilities.
Nursing Associate Degree Apprentices combine their studies with work-based learning in areas including clinical practice, clinical observations and supporting patients and their loved ones.
The classroom-based elements of the course cover key knowledge and skills in areas including safety and quality, anatomy and physiology, communication, medicines management, integrated care, clinical practice, teamwork and promoting good health.
Degree Apprentices are just like any other students at UCW – meaning they have access to all of the support and guidance we offer at no additional expense.
Please contact our Apprenticeships Team on 01934 411 594 or apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk to find out more.
Students who pass this course will be awarded a Level 5 FdSc Foundation Degree from UWE Bristol. The agreement between UWE Bristol and UCW is reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure academic standards are maintained.
Tuition fees for the FdSc Nursing Associate Degree Apprenticeship are £15,000 per apprentice.
But with Degree Apprenticeships having been identified as a crucial part of the UK’s long-term education and economic growth strategies, there is plenty of financial support available.
If an organisation has an annual payroll in excess of £3 million, they will be able to fund this Degree Apprenticeship in its entirety through Apprenticeship Levy contributions.
Even if an organisation does not pay into the Levy, they could still receive government contributions to cover the cost of up to 95% of the tuition fees for this course.
Additionally, all organisations that employ an apprentice aged between 19 and 24 who has been in care or who has an Education and Health Care Plan will receive a government grant of £1,000.
Please click here for more information about apprenticeship funding.
The fee stated above covers all of the teaching and assessment elements that are required for students to complete the course.
It also includes:
- The use of UCW facilities and equipment.
- Attendance at guest lectures at UCW.
- Annual £5 printing and photocopying allowance for part-time students.
- The use of UCW computer equipment at any of our campuses and access to Microsoft Office 365 while you are enrolled with UCW.
- The loans of books from our libraries.
- Access to all of the UCW student support and careers services.
It does not include:
- The cost of the enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check required for all participants on this course every year.
- Participation in optional daytrips or residential visits at an approximate cost of £50 (UK) and £100 (overseas) per day/night.
- Extra printing and photocopying above the £5 limit.
- The cost of books that you may wish to purchase.
- Transport between our campuses, and to/from your partner university and work.
- Accommodation and other living expenses.
UCW publishes its Tuition Fees Policy on the Wider Information Set page of this website.
Degree Apprentices are taught via lectures and seminars in the classroom, e-learning and real-world, on-the-job training. UCW’s Higher Education Library Plus (HE.LP) team also deliver a series of sessions on degree-level research and academic writing to all first-year students.
Degree Apprentices are also expected to learn through independent self-study, which involves working on individual and group projects, and undertaking research in preparation for coursework and exams.
All of the modules on this course are compulsory and successful completion will lead to the award of the Level 5 Nursing Associate FdSc Foundation Degree.
Year 1:
- Accountable Professional Clinical Practice 1 (30 credits)
- Applied Anatomy and Physiology (30 credits)
- Communication and Relationship Management Skills (15 credits)
- Improving Safety and Quality of Care (15 credits)
- Provide and Monitor Care (30 credits)
Year 2:
- Accountable Professional Clinical Practice 2 (30 credits)
- Contributing to Integrated Care (15 credits)
- Pharmacology and Medicines Management (30 credits)
- Promoting and Preventing Ill Health (30 credits)
- Working in Teams (15 credits)
Please click on the course handbook button to find out more.
- Those who successfully complete the course will be able to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a qualified Nursing Associate.
- Qualified Nursing Associates are eligible to undertake a shortened nursing degree or relevant Degree Apprenticeship to continue their training to become a fully qualified, registered nurse.
Industry insight
Nursing Associates are typically on Band 3 of the NHS pay scale and earn between £17,000 and £21,500 while they are training and can progress to Band 4 upon becoming qualified (NHS).
Applicants must have Level 2 English and Maths at grade C/4 or
above, or equivalent, and will be required to attend an interview.
Additionally, applicants must also have achieved a Level 3 qualification, such as A Levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma or an Access to Higher Education Diploma, or equivalent.
Although UCW prefers this qualification to be in a related subject area, employers have their own requirements may not.
Applicants must also either be employed in a suitable health or social care setting where they can be supported and assessed by a NMC-approved mentor and compile a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate the achievement of workplace competencies, or be responding to a vacancy posted by an employer which can meet these requirements.
Places on Degree Apprenticeships are decided upon by employers, with each organisation having its own recruitment, application and selection processes. Please also be aware that there can be significant
competition for these places.
