Course summary
Take the first step towards a fulfilling career as a Nursing Associate with our NMC-validated Foundation degree. When you graduate, you’ll be ready to start working as a registered Nursing Associate. This course is currently undergoing NMC revalidation. The course and module information on this page is liable to change. The role of a Nursing Associate is a new role that is designed to bridge the gap between a healthcare assistant and a registered nurse.Their valuable contribution to healthcare is regulated by the NMC and will allow for progression via further study to registered nursing programmes such as Adult Nursing, Mental Health Nursing and Child Nursing. As part of your course, you’ll get the chance to immerse yourself in placements that will help you to build up the practice-based knowledge and skills to deliver such care, and become an integral part of the nursing community. Here at ARU, we are dedicated to the continual improvement of healthcare and stand by the values of the NHS Constitution. We’ll support you to be become a confident, compassionate, competent and responsive practitioner with knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deliver safe, high quality, person-centred nursing care across a range of health and social care environments. You’ll understand the service user experience and look for ways to improve this through contribution to innovation in health care practice. We're proud to have been shortlisted for Nurse Education Provider of the Year in 2023 by the Student Nursing Times. It speaks volumes about the quality of our teaching. You’ll soon discover that our faculty is a stimulating place to learn, with excellent facilities and registered, practising tutors who will make sure you’re being taught the latest techniques and give you the support you need to succeed. We make use of technology to support your learning. Good examples are the use of virtual reality scenarios or monitoring your progress with real time assessment. Our Nursing and Midwifery Council validated course places equal value on clinical practice and theory. During your two-year Foundation degree you’ll have four main placements, on hospital wards (surgical, medical, general, child, A&E), with the mental health team in the community and specialist clinics. You’ll be linked to one of our NHS healthcare trust partners for your placements in hospitals or community settings. If you study in Cambridge, you’ll do your placements in Cambridge, Huntingdon or Peterborough. If you study in Chelmsford, you’ll do your placements in or around Chelmsford, Southend, Basildon, Harlow or Colchester. We want to make sure you experience a variety of placements and that you graduate as an effective practitioner. Our placement maps will help you plan your travel before you start on the course. Teaching on campus usually takes place between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. On placement, you’ll be working shifts, this can mean early, late and night shifts, as well as working weekends and bank holidays. You’ll be supported by practice supervisors and assessors on placements as well as staff from ARU. Each year, you’ll get allocated annual leave at set points to support you in balancing your course and relaxation time. You’ll have the chance to share experiences with students from other courses, and to see how the professions work together to provide effective and seamless care. For Nursing Associate Direct Entry student, Health Education England will provide one payment of £1,000 to each student to cover the entire 2 year programme.
Modules
Core modules Fundamentals of Care for Patient Safety Practising Fundamentals of Care for Patient Safety 1 Supporting Person-Centred Health (Physical and Mental) and Wellbeing Medicines Calculations for Safe Practice 1 Practising Fundamentals of Care for Patient Safety 2 Core modules Medicines Calculations for Safe Practice 3 Supporting learning for quality care Delivering Safe and Effective Person- Centred Care 1 Monitoring and Improving Quality of Care Delivering Safe and Effective Person-Centred Care
Assessment method
In the first year as a Nursing Associate student, you’ll be introduced to the fundamental aspects of person-centred care and explore the NMC Code to understand what is expected of a proficient, competent and safe Nursing Associate. You’ll also get the chance to put your newfound knowledge and skills to the test with two core practical placements, where you’ll encounter patients with a wide range of needs in a nursing environment. Modules are subject to change and availability.
Professional bodies
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council
How to apply
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
This course is not open to International Applicants.
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 48 points
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants for whom English is not their first language and who are unable to provide evidence of being taught and examined through the medium of English are required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. This can be via an Occupational English Test with a grade of C+ in writing and B in the reading, listening and speaking sections or an English Language Testing System (IELTS) with an overall score of 7 and at least a 6.5 in the writing section and 7 in the reading, listening and speaking sections.
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
https://www.aru.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/nursing-associate-fdsc
Additional entry requirements
Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)
Health checks
Interview
Student Outcomes
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
England | £7500 | Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | £7500 | Year 1 |
Scotland | £7500 | Year 1 |
Wales | £7500 | Year 1 |
Channel Islands | £7500 | Year 1 |
Republic of Ireland | £7500 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Provider information
Anglia Ruskin University
East Road
Cambridge
CB1 1PT