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Nursing associates
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Nursing associates (NAs) provide clinical support, bridging the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses. They deliver hands-on, person-centred care as part of nursing teams and work in various health and care settings, with patients of all ages. As well as being fulfilling, the nursing associate role also offers a great opportunity for healthcare support workers to progress their careers. And it provides a pathway towards becoming a registered nurse.
Want to find out more about becoming a nursing associate?
You can read more about training routes and entry requirements on the NHS Health Careers website. Nursing associate is a protected title in law and regulated by the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) in England. More information about the regulation of the role is available on the NMC website.
I'm an employer, what are the advantages of training and employing NAs?
- increased retention of staff through career progression opportunities
- improved service delivery and quality of patient care
- opportunity to 'grow your own' nursing workforce
Read on for lots more information including how to recruit and train student nursing associates and how to deploy nursing associates.
The nursing associate role is regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). To become a nursing associate, individuals must pass a foundation degree awarded by an NMC-approved provider, typically taken over two years. The programme includes academic and work-based learning and prepares students to work with people of all ages and in a variety of settings in health and social care. Students must complete at least 2,300 programme hours.
Student nursing associates can either:
- earn while they learn as part of an apprenticeship programme or
- apply directly to university (self-funded).
You can find a list of all approved programmes on the NMC website or visit UCAS to search for the direct entry courses.
Recruitment - entry requirements
As a minimum, trainee nursing associates will need GCSEs grade 9 to 4 (A to C) in maths and English or Functional Skills Level 2 in maths and English. They will also need to demonstrate:
- their ability to study to level 5 foundation degree level
- the values and behaviours of the NHS Constitution
- a commitment to completing the Nursing Associate Apprenticeship programme.
Some universities may have additional requirements. If applicants don't have the relevant maths and English requirements they'll be asked to sit a numeracy and literacy assessment as part of the recruitment process. Most education providers will request that trainees then achieve a level 2 literacy and numeracy qualification prior to starting the programme.
Functional skills training and examination is free to any learner who does not hold maths and/or English GCSE at 4 (C) or above (or equivalent such as level 2 functional skills). The Government website has information about ways to improve English, maths and IT skills. And we have an NHS England Functional Skills Toolkit which provides further guidance and resources.
Applicants from non-English speaking countries will also need to have successfully completed a recognised English language test.
If you want to develop this role in your organisation, you may need to present a business case to your board to secure investment. NHS Employers has a useful guide on training, funding and deploying nursing associates.
You'll need to:
- adhere to the nursing associate apprenticeship standard, which reflects the agreed NMC standards for nursing associates. You can download the nursing associate standard and end-point assessment on the HASO website
- identify apprenticeship levy funding for the programme
- procure a training provider – see the HEE Apprenticeship Procurement Toolkit
- recruit to the programme.
Funding via the apprenticeship levy
Employers can use the apprenticeship levy to fund a nursing associate apprenticeship programme. The levy is paid by all employers who have an annual pay bill of £3 million or more. The rate is set at 0.5 per cent of the total pay bill and is paid to HMRC through the PAYE process. Those with a pay bill of less than £3 million don’t pay the levy and use different arrangements to pay for apprenticeship training.
Read Nursing Associates and the Apprenticeship Levy: A quick guide.
Find out more about the apprenticeship levy, and how to use it within the NHS on the NHS Employers website.
For more on introducing a student nursing associate programme, please see the NHS Employers nursing associate handbook under ‘Establishing your nursing associate training programme’
Additional funding from NHS England (is this right?)
For each student nursing associate (SNA), an employer will be eligible for a total funding sum of £8,000 over two years (£4,000 per year).
For students that are working at least 50% of their practice time with people who have a learning disability or/ and are autistic, an employer will be eligible for a total funding sum of £15,800 over two years (£7,900 per year). There are no restrictions in relation to clinical or social setting in which the SNA (learning disability/autism) works or plans to work during their apprenticeship.
Setting up the programme in primary care
If you want to set up a SNA programme in primary care you will need to find an education provider to deliver the apprenticeship.
Next you'll need to access funding support. Your practice could be eligible for NHS England funding of £4,000 per year per SNA to help with supporting the SNA.
You'll also need to set up an apprenticeship digital account (DAS) which will enable the training provider to be paid the programme costs from the levy.
The student can then start on the programme.
Your regional nursing associate lead can help you through the setting up process. Contact them on england.wte.nursingandmidwifery@nhs.net
SNA direct entry programme
Placement Tariff Value
For each starter to a SNA Direct Entry/ UCAS Programme, NHS England will provide one payment of £1,000 to each SNA to cover the entire two year programme. The students can use the funds in any way they feel will help support their training, e.g. childcare, travel, buying equipment to assist with online learning.
Newly qualified nursing associates may need time to adjust to the increased responsibility and accountability associated with being registered. You can support them to do this by:
- promoting the role throughout your organisation
- creating a formal job description and scope of practice
- supported medicines administration procedures
- offering preceptorship programmes.
NHS Employers has some useful information on: Deploying Nursing Associates in Different Settings
A preceptorship is a period of support and guidance for new registrants and there is NHS best practice guidance on preceptorship for nursing associates in 2018.
Hear from staff about how they got into the role, the good bits and the challenges. And hear about the role from the employer's perspective too.