Nursing Associate Apprenticeship
The programme includes both academic and work-based learning and prepares you to provide care for people of all ages and from different backgrounds in a variety of health and social care settings. This includes providing care for people who have mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural differences and additional care needs, those living with dementia, the elderly and for people nearing the end of their life.
Course overview
The Nursing Associate role was introduced in response to the Shape of Caring Review (2015), to help build the capacity of the nursing workforce and the delivery of high-quality care. It will be a vital part of the wider health and care team and aims to:
- support the career progression of healthcare assistants
- enable nurses to focus on more complex clinical work
- increase the supply of nurses by providing a progression route into graduate-level nursing
As an apprentice Nursing Associate you will remain employed and continue with on-the-job learning at your workplace, alongside learning in the University and practice placements. These placements will give you the opportunity to demonstrate that you are capable of meeting the holistic needs of people of all ages, including children, to NMC standards (2018).
The programme enables new and existing healthcare staff to study for a fully-funded Foundation Degree (FdSc) and professional qualification leading to eligibility for entry to the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) register whilst in paid employment. During the two-year course, you will build on your own experience of caring for people and learn to play a proactive role in multidisciplinary teams, in the area or field you would usually work. You will become proficient in contributing to the promotion of health and the prevention of ill health by empowering people and communities to exercise choice, take control of their own health decisions and behaviours and by supporting people to manage their own care where possible. Your role will involve interacting with a variety of service users, families and carers, and with an extensive range of health and care professionals and other agencies including social services, police, probation, prisons, housing, education, language interpreters and third sector agencies.
As a trainee Nursing Associate you will need to be emotionally intelligent and resilient, able to manage your own personal health and wellbeing, recognise boundaries of practice and know when and how to access support.
The main component of this programme consists of core compulsory modules focusing on theory and practice. You will complete a total minimum of 2,300 practice and theory hours over the two years.
In Year 1, you study compulsory modules that include Personal and Professional Practice; Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice; Long-Term Conditions; Health Sciences for Professional Practice; Health and Care Skills Across the Life-Course; and Practice-Based Learning Part 1, including an extended placement.
In Year 2, you undertake modules in Enhancing Personal and Professional Practice; Promoting Health and Wellbeing; Developing Evidence-Based Practice and Quality Enhancement; and Monitoring and Recognising Deterioration in Physical and Mental Health.
Careers
Nursing Associate apprentices will continue in their place of employment where they may be eligible for new roles. Graduates will be able to find employment with local health and social care organisations including primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, in all fields of nursing, adult, mental health, learning disability and child health. This includes acute and community hospitals and NHS community trusts (across a range of clinical areas), community nursing teams and GP practices.
At the University of Winchester, we are committed to ensuring all our students gain employability skills to enable you to enter graduate level jobs and pursue the profession of your choice.
Accreditation
This apprenticeship is approved against the new NMC standards of proficiency for Nursing Associates (2018).The standards of proficiency represent the standards of knowledge and skills that a Nursing Associate will need to meet in order to be considered by the NMC as capable of safe and effective nursing associate practice.
What you need to know
Course start date
September
Location
On campus, Winchester
Course length
2 years full-time
Apply
Typical offer
Fees
Course features
- Make a difference to people’s lives and learn how to optimise their care in a safe and stimulating environment
- Learn from supportive and accessible lecturers and gain real insights from experienced and registered professionals
- Bring your learning to life through practice placements with partner organisations under the supervision of experienced nurses
- Develop excellent communication skills, clinical knowledge and hands-on experience to prepare you for your future professional life
- Study for an award that confers eligibility to apply for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- This contemporary and exciting new apprenticeship provides practical training to enable Nursing Associates to deliver hands-on, person centered care as part of a wider nursing team.
Course details
Learning and teaching
The University aims to shape 'confident learners' by enabling students to develop the skills to excel in their studies here and be transferable to further studies or the employment market. Staff and students form a community of learners who, together and independently, seek to generate and exchange knowledge. Over the duration of the course, students develop independent and critical learning, building confidence and expertise progressively through independent and collaborative research, problem solving, and analysis with the support of staff. Students take responsibility for their own learning and are encouraged to make use of the wide range of available learning resources available.
In addition to the formally scheduled contact time (i.e. lectures, seminars etc), students are encouraged to access academic support from staff within the course team, personal tutors and the wide range of services to students within the University.
The course uses the NHS Leadership Academy Maximising Leadership in the Pre-Registration Healthcare Curricula Framework to build leadership skills through a spiral curriculum.
Digital Literacy
There is ongoing and building of digital literacy throughout the programme.
Digital literacy is important in all professions. In healthcare it is now seen as a vital tool and is used for managing patient records, assessment, research and education. It is also the most common and the preferred way the Programme Team will communicate information to student cohorts.
All students are expected to have digital literacy skills and use these throughout the programme and become proficient in the use of commonly used software. Training and support for this will be available to students.
Digital platforms will be used for the submission of assignments, access information and conduct research. All students will have access to computers and a university email address.
Assessment
At the University of Winchester validated programmes may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used in the programme you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day/Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.
Feedback
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
Location
On campus, University of Winchester
Further information
For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures.
Modules
Please note the modules listed are correct at the time of publishing. The University cannot guarantee the availability of all modules listed and modules may be subject to change. The University will notify applicants of any changes made to the core modules listed. For further information please refer to winchester.ac.uk/termsandconditions
Modules
This module enables the learner to begin to understand the demands of professional practice and to foster self-awareness, resilience, emotional intelligence, and adaptability in an interprofessional healthcare environment. It aims to enhance understanding and application of person-centred practices and encourages learner engagement with the professional and ethical standards outlined in the NMC Code (2018). The concepts and personal development plan created in this module will provide the foundations for further exploration and development in the year 2 module; Enhancing Personal & Professional Practice.
This module will explore the full range of health sciences and will support the development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours required when caring for people with short and long-term conditions. The module will encompass the management and impact of prevalent long-term conditions across community and acute care settings, providing learners with opportunities to apply their knowledge of anatomy and physiology, sociology, and health psychology to gain further insight into the impact on patients and families. The module will support learners’ knowledge and understanding of physical monitoring and strategies for responding to deterioration. It will introduce the learner to the fundamentals of pharmacology and medicines management, which learners will continue to expand on as they progress through the programme.
This module will enable the learner to develop underpinning knowledge and understanding of healthcare related evidence and how it is used to inform policies, practices and healthcare decisions. It will assist the learner to develop the fundamental knowledge and skills required to conduct research and identify relevant literature from which to inform practice. Learners will gain insight into the Nursing Process; assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation and apply sound clinical reasoning and context dependent thinking, underpinned by a robust evidence-base to create co-designed, holistic care plans.
This module will empower the learner to demonstrate effective, age and intellectually appropriate communication with children, young people, adults, families and caregivers. The learner will consider the importance of addressing individuals’ preferences and needs within a biopsychosocial context, together with demonstration of competence to safely perform a range of nursing procedures. The learner will collaborate with Practice Assessors and Practice Supervisors to demonstrate competence in practice, through achievement of agreed NMC proficiencies, as outlined in Part 1 of the Nursing Associate Practice Assessment Document (NAPAD). The module will provide four assessment points which will demonstrate successful achievement of the required NMC (2018) Standards of Proficiency for Nursing Associates for progression to Part 2.
Modules
This module builds on the Year 1 module, Developing Personal and Professional Practice, as learners critically reflect on their Personal Development Plans (PDP) to identify key areas for growth and development within the Nursing Associate role. The module examines fundamental principles and theories of leadership, team working, supervision and assessment whilst promoting effective safeguarding practices and fostering an understanding of professional standards of practice and behaviour defined by the NMC Code (2018). It will also enable the learner to gain insight into the inherent challenges of professional practice whilst strengthening their self-awareness, resilience, emotional intelligence, and adaptability in a healthcare setting.
This module aims to enhance knowledge and understanding of global, national and local public health challenges. This will include health promotion and health protection strategies aimed at preventing illness whilst also fostering patient self-management and independence across all fields, lifespan and aspects of health and social care. The module will explore the determinants of and disparities in health and wellness among communities, whilst considering the role of the Nursing Associates in promoting and safeguarding health, as well as their contribution to the fulfilment of public health objectives.
This module builds on the Nursing Process and Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice module undertaken in year one and explores ways research, audit and service evaluation contribute to the development of professional practice, guidelines, policy decisions and care quality. The module will encourage the learner to reflect on the role of the Nursing Associate in quality improvement and support the development of knowledge and skills required for planning, implementing and evaluating an audit or service evaluation aimed at improving patient care and experience.
This module will equip the learner with the essential knowledge and skills necessary for their role as a registered Nursing Associate. It emphasises the significance of applying underpinning knowledge and understanding of the Code (NMC 2018) and the Standards of proficiency for Nursing Associates. The module continues to embed knowledge and proficiency in medicines management, information governance and effective communication with individuals, families and care givers of all ages to ensure the delivery of safe and effective person-centred care. In addition, through practice-based learning experiences, the learner will collaborate with Practice Assessors and Practice Supervisors to demonstrate proficiency in practice through achievement of proficiencies, as outlined in Part 2 of the Nursing Associate Practice Assessment Document (NAPAD). On completion of practice and academic requirements for the final assessment point of Part 2 of the NAPAD, the learner will progress to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a registered Nursing Associate.
Entry requirements
Academic requirement
- A GCSE A*-C or 9-4 pass in English Language and Mathematics required (certified alternatives, such as Functional Skills level 2 will be considered).
- You will need to provide original certificates to the University. If you only hold a ‘statement of provisional results’ and do not hold original certificates, please contact the relevant awarding body to obtain a ‘certified statement of results’ as soon as possible. Further information about obtaining a replacement exam certificate is available on the gov.uk website.
- Qualification evidence of learning at level 3 (normally 56 UCAS points or relevant Access to Higher Education Diploma) or two years of verifiable and relevant work experience.
Relevant Experience
- We will look for evidence within your application of a commitment to the nursing profession and that your personal values align with the NHS Constitution and the University. Also desirable, is prior care experience in a paid or voluntary capacity to demonstrate an informed decision to embark on a career in nursing.
- You must be employed in a health or social care organisation as a healthcare assistant or equivalent and be working full-time (minimum of 30hrs per week).
- You must have a sponsoring manager and support from the employing organisation to ensure commitment (including release to attend off-the-job training). The employer will also need to commit to the apprentice’s protected learning and supernumerary status.
Additional requirements
- An enhanced DBS (undertaken by the employer) is required prior to the commencement of the course and at progression points an update will be required. Applicants are therefore recommended to register for the DBS update service.
- Occupational Health clearance (undertaken by the employer) is required prior to the commencement of the programme and on an annual basis throughout.
- Please note, this course is only open to applicants who have the right to work in England and meet the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) residency rules. If you are a non-UK national we will ask you to provide further information to determine your eligibility during the application process.
Course enquiries and applications
Visit us
Explore our campus and find out more about studying at Winchester by coming to one of our Open Days.
To secure an apprenticeship you will need to apply for a full-time position with one of our partner employers. To gain a place on this programme you will have been successful on application and interview as conducted by the sponsoring business in conjunction with the University of Winchester. Alternatively, you may be seeking career enhancement within your current role. In this case you will need your employer to support you by offering a Degree Apprenticeship with the University of Winchester.
In the absence of formal learning qualifications applications are welcomed from persons who can demonstrate relevant work experience, including work in a voluntary capacity. The course structure actively supports claims for Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) and Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).
To find out more about applying as an International student, visit out International Apply Page.
2025 Course Tuition Fees
Costs to Student/Apprentice
- Apprentices are full-time employees and will be entitled to a wage and paid time off to study
- There are no tuition fees
Read What are Degree Apprenticeships? for more information.
Costs to Employers
How much will it cost an employing business per apprentice?
The apprentice will remain employed by their existing employer throughout the programme, who will continue to pay their salary. The funding you are eligible for is determined by the number of people you employ, the annual payroll of your company and the age of the learner.
Read Information for employers for the latest information.
Additional costs
As one of our students all of your teaching and assessments are included in your tuition fees, including, lectures/guest lectures and tutorials, seminars, laboratory sessions and specialist teaching facilities. You will also have access to a wide range of student support and IT services.
There might be additional costs you may encounter whilst studying. The following highlights the mandatory and optional costs for this course:
Mandatory:
A full set of uniforms will be provided at the beginning of the programme by the University. If you require additional uniforms later on, you may need to pay for these. Indicative cost: £30.
Your employer will ensure you have an occupational health assessment; however, you may need to pay for immunisations if they are not covered by your GP.
You will need a pair of suitable comfortable shoes while on clinical placement. Indicative cost: £40–£60.
You will need to purchase some of your own clinical items, for instance a stethoscope and fob watch. Indicative cost: £30.
You will need to be able to travel to your placement ‐ travel costs will be associated with this and paid by your employer. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance check is required which will be undertaken by your employer when applicants accept their offer for a place on the course.
Where a module specifies core texts these should generally be available in the library in hardcopy or electronic copy. Some students may choose to buy their own and these can be purchased from any source. Indicative cost is £10-£50.
There are placements in each year of the programme that are organised by the University with our local healthcare provider. Insurance for students on placement and the necessary immunisation/vaccination is provided by the University. Students will need to travel to placements/arrange accommodation. In some situations, there may be costs incurred here for travel and accommodation.
Printing and Binding: We are proud to offer free printing for all students to ensure that printing costs are not a potential financial barrier to student success. The University of Winchester and Winchester Student Union are champions of sustainability and therefore ask that all students consider the environment and print fairly. Students may be required to pay for the costs of dissertation binding. Indicative cost is £1.50-£3.