Course summary

Overview 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 you to provide high quality, person-centred care across the lifespan. As well as being a professional role in its own right, it is also possible to progress on to graduate-level nursing. The University of Worcester was one of the first Universities in England to develop a Nursing Associate programme in 2017, as one of the Health Education England test site courses. This exciting FdSc Nursing Associate programme builds on this and has been developed in collaboration with partner organisations, students and service users, in response to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2018) Standards of Proficiency for Nursing Associates. Key features

• Emphasis is on learning in diverse, supportive learning environments with 50% of the course embedded in the practice setting

• Develop knowledge and understanding of providing safe and effective, person-centred care for people across the lifespan

• Skills and simulation centre providing outstanding facilities to safely practice nursing associate interventions in a supportive environment

• Opportunities for shared learning with BSc (Hons) Nursing students, through shared modules, skills and simulated learning and in the practice setting

• Visiting lecturers including experienced and senior clinical nurses and patients, their families and carers, providing a unique insight into their experiences of healthcare

• On successful completion of the FdSc Nursing Associate, eligible to apply for Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. You may also be eligible to apply for year 2 of our BSc (Hons) registered nurse programme

• Shortlisted for Best Student Experience in the annual Student Nursing Times Awards 2022, while several students were shortlisted across a number of categories in the Awards.

• For almost three decades, the University of Worcester has been educating professionals to work in the health and social care sectors, from Nurses and Midwives to Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists, Paramedics to Physician Associates. Each year, hundreds of professionals graduate from Worcester and go on to make a significant contribution to society. The University’s new medical school welcomed its first cohort of students in September 2023. The Three Counties Medical School will help to address the pressing need for more doctors in this left-behind part of the Country.

• Worcester rose to become the number one English university (excluding specialist institutions) for sustained employment, further study, or both, three and five years after graduation in the 2022 Government-published Longitudinal Educational Outcomes survey, having been in the top 10 in 2020 and 2021. 96% of our graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022).