Nursing Associate Apprenticeships in Primary Care

The NA role was introduced in January 2017 through the Health Education England (HEE) trainee nursing associate’s programme. It aims to:

• support the career progression of care assistants

• enable nurses to undertake more advanced roles

• increase the supply of nurses by providing a progression route into graduate level nursing

The NA is a bridging role between healthcare support workers and graduate registered nurses. NAs are new members of the care team, who are trained to foundation degree level. They work with people of all ages and in a variety of settings in health and social care.

The Nursing Associate (NA) is a highly trained support role to deliver effective, safe, responsible and person-centred nursing care in and across a wide range of health and social care settings. NAs work independently and with others under the leadership and direction of a Registered Nurse within defined parameters to deliver care in line with an agreed plan.  NAs have a breadth of knowledge and a flexible, portable skills set to serve local health populations, in a range of settings covering pre-life to end of life. 

For more information on Nursing Associates, please visit:

https://www.rcn.org.uk/professional-development/become-a-nursing-associate

https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/nursing-associates

The above table is taken from: https://www.nmc.org.uk/news/news-and-updates/blog-whats-a-nursing-associate/

In July 2018 the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved the Government’s request to regulate the role. NAs will be expected to undertake revalidation every 3 years and pay a yearly retention fee the same as Registered Nurses and Midwives. The fee will be the same for all on the register.

For the NMC proficiency standards for NAs please visit the following website: https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/standards-for-nursing-associates/standards-of-proficiency-for-nursing-associates/

Nursing associates bridge the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses. The role has been introduced to help increase the capacity of the nursing workforce and the delivery of high-quality care while supporting nurses and wider multidisciplinary teams to focus on more complex clinical duties.

The nursing associate role can also be a stepping stone between healthcare assistant and registered nurse and, by employing an NA apprentice, you practice is improving staff retention through offering career progression opportunities while at the same time ‘growing your own’ nursing workforce.

An independent evaluation of the first two waves of the nursing associates programme revealed a number of benefits to employers arising from the introduction of the role, including:

1.     improved service delivery and patient care

2.     improved staff retention through career progression

3.     the ability to ‘grow your own’ nursing workforce

4.     investing in a tried and tested training programme, accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

Primary Care Training Hubs are currently supporting applicants wanting to complete an NA apprenticeship as well as practices wanting to support a staff member through the NA Apprenticeship.

The Nursing Associate programme is for those looking for new challenges and to further develop their career within a health or social care environment.

This course is open to anyone who already holds GCSEs grade 9 to 4 (A to C) in maths and English, or Functional Skills Level 2 in maths and English. You must also hold a previous qualification at NVQ Level 3 or equivalent. If you do not hold these qualifications, you are welcome to contact your primary care training hub and they will advise you around how you can work towards obtaining them.

This course would be appropriate for someone who is already employed at a practice or PCN as a healthcare assistant or in a similar role. If you are not employed by a practice, you can search for Student NA roles through job search sites such as NHS jobs, Primary Care Careers or Indeed.

It is a two year Student Nursing Associate course taught at Level 5 and is a mixture of face-to-face learning at the University, (Nursing & Midwifery Council regulated which requires 1 day a week at University). Placement, six 6-week placements over two years (the first placement is in the current employment, i.e. the GP practice) in alternative learning environments, and 'on the job learning' all during the academic term time.

There is no cost to the apprentice for completing an NA apprenticeship. The total cost of the apprenticeship is £15,000.

If the practice is a levy paying organisation then they will fund the apprenticeship through their levy.

If the practice is a non-levy paying organisation, in Hertfordshire and West Essex, we offer the Levy transfer / gifting option. This is where a levy paying organisation gifts some of their unused levy to a non-levy paying organisation.

The funding route will be discussed with the practice and applicant once they have expressed their interest to take part in the programme.

• The practice/PCN must be committed to supporting their applicant throughout their 2 years of study

• If you are able to, we would ask that you offer up a placement at your practice for other apprentice NA’s on the course (reciprocal placements)

• The practice must have an educational audit in place and GPN assessor or a GPN willing to be an assessor.

• You must hold a grade C or above (or grade 4-9) in English and Maths (if you do not hold this level then please let the Primary Care Training Hub know as soon as possible and they will be able to book you onto a funded course in order to obtain these certificates)

• You must be committed to work 30-37.5 hours a week

You can access this learning for free through Progression 2 at Oaklands College. Enrolment has now been streamlined - all you need to do is click on one of the links below for the qualification you require - then click on the pink 'Apply Now' buttons. You will be sent out an initial assessment -

Maths https://www.oaklands.ac.uk/course/bpp2matp-1-functional-skills-maths-distance-learning/ 

English : https://www.oaklands.ac.uk/course/bpp2engp-1-functional-skills-english-distance-learning/

There are also some resources here: https://haso.skillsforhealth.org.uk/skills-for-life/

Contact us and ensure you provide the follow information in your communication:

• Practice name

• Name and contact details of the lead contact person for the NA apprenticeship (this will probably be the practice manager)

• Name of applicant

We will then contact you to ask for additional information. You are welcome to register your interest even if all of the pre-requisites are not yet in place as we are able to assist you with obtaining these.

In Hertfordshire and West Essex the universities who provide the NA apprenticeship are:

• University of Hertfordshire

• Anglia Ruskin University

• Open University

Click on each of the university names to go to their page which will have more details about their NA apprenticeship course.

In Hertfordshire and West Essex, the ICB training hub is working closely with the three placement bases within the area to assist and advise around the Nursing Associate (NA) apprenticeship pathway. It is important to note that we are not the employers and therefore are only working in an advisory capacity. It is the responsibility of the practice and potential applicant to make sure that they understand what will be expected of the practices and the student NA during the apprenticeship training. The practice needs to liaise with the Higher Education Institution (HEI) Enterprise & Business Development to make sure the apprenticeship agreements are in place. The Training hub will supply contact details. 

The basic plan is as follows:

1.) Potential applicant speaks to their practice and discusses that they would like to complete and NA apprenticeship

2.) The lead contact person at the practice then contacts the training hub, who will pass on to the NA Lead.

3.) NA Lead will then contact the practice and applicant and check whether they have the prerequisites in place. If these are not in place, NA Lead will advise how these can be achieved.

4.) NA Lead will put the practice in contact with the HEI’s Enterprise & Business Development.  Once the applicant is nearing being ready to apply to the university, the training hub will put the applicant and practice in touch with the HEI’s university. The training hub will arrange the funding for the course.