Course summary

Nursing associates work with healthcare support workers and registered nurses to provide care and treatment in a wide range of health and care settings. This two-year foundation degree is a flexible, practice-based course, which will enable Students to provide high quality, person-centred care across the lifespan. This two-year foundation degree is delivered within a supportive learning environment. It offers perspectives on health, ill health, health promotion and protection, life sciences and nursing practice in a range of settings. It comprises approximately 50% theory and 50% practice, across the required 2300 programme hours. The Nursing Associate programme is a flexible, authentic practice learning course aimed to develop competent, confident and compassionate Nursing Associates, providing high quality, safe and responsive person-centred care across the lifespan in diverse care setting. This course includes significant practice (or work-based) learning. Students will have the opportunity to achieve national proficiencies relating to the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Standards of Proficiency for Nursing Associates. This will enable them to become an accountable professional, promote health and prevent ill health, provide and monitor care, work as part of a team, improve safety and the quality of care, and contribute to integrated care. In Year 1 they will be introduced to the foundations for nursing associate practice in which they will develop knowledge of the principles that underpin professional practice and patient care. In Year 2 they will prepare to undertake the professional role of the nursing associate and gain the skills and experience required to become a partner in care with both their patients and members of the multidisciplinary team.