Student Nursing Associate

What is a Nursing Associate?

The Nursing Associate (NA) is the newest member of the nursing team with the first Nursing Associates being registered in 2019. A Nursing Associate is able to deliver hands-on, person-centred care for people of all ages in a variety of settings in health and social care organisations, working under the direction of a Registered Nurse. The Nursing Associate role is regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and is a status protected professional title.

What does the Nursing Associate training programme look like?

The Nursing Associate training is a 2-year foundation degree delivered either via an apprenticeship or a direct funded entry route with the majority of Nursing Associates training via the apprenticeship route. Only NMC approved providers can deliver the programme and there are a number of universities across London who are approved to deliver a Nursing Associate programme.

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All student Nursing Associates will be required to:

• Undertake academic and work-based learning

• Complete a 2-year course requirements include placements, attendance at university with NMC stipulated set number of learning hours with a minimum 2,300 programme hours and must include equal balance of theory and practice learning

• Approximately 500 alternative placement hours per year are required across all disciplines of nursing and in all 3 settings where patients can receive care – in hospital, close to home and at home

Entry Requirements

• GCSE passes in Maths and English (grade 9-4 or A-C) or equivalent

  • ​Functional Skills Level 2 is considered equivalent, and staff can be supported to achieve these qualifications

• A contractual agreement in place which states that the applicant has a full-time contract of employment

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As this is an entry level post, applicants do not need to have direct health or social care experience - for employers, this means that you can stipulate your own additional recruitment requirements. For instance, there are student Nursing Associates who were previously employed in non-clinical roles although this would be decided by the employer.

What are the benefits of the role to organisations?

• Increases an organisations’ capacity to deal with the clinical needs of patients and residents

• Key part of a cost-effective nursing team who can work together within the care plan to maximise skill sets

• Supports staff retention by promoting career progression within organisations

• Helps attract high quality staff to organisations by offering career progression and workforce development

• A cost-effective way to develop staff as apprenticeship training costs can be fully funded.

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To date employers have also received a financial contribution from NHSE. If utilising the apprenticeship route, the staff member will need to be employed as a student Nursing Associate for the duration of the programme.

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Support with recruitment and employment of a student Nursing Associate is available with resources including model job descriptions and contracts. To have the training completely funded employers who are not apprenticeship levy payers will need to have a levy transfer arranged and the SWL TH Apprenticeship SNA Lead is able to help with this.

Financial support packages

NHSE currently offer employers a total amount of £8,000 per student Nursing Associate to support work-based learning and workforce development. This is made available over a two-year period for the duration of the programme and is paid in Two instalments to the employer.

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An enhanced financial support package is also available for student Nursing Associates who will spend a minimum of 50% of their time working in a Learning Disabilities setting.

Next steps

• Consider whether your organisation would benefit from a student Nursing Associate (SNA) and if you are able to employ and support them through the programme

• Find a suitable applicant(s) by internally discussing whether your organisation wants to focus on internal applicants or is open to external recruitment.

• Contact your local Training Hub for support or alternatively for further information about recruiting and employing student Nursing Associate, please email Wendy Majewska on: w.majewska@nhs.net

SWL Nursing Associate Team

Wendy Majewska, SWL TH SNA/Apprenticeship Lead

Lewis Daines, SWL Training Hub Practice Educator

Nicola Lakic, Croydon NA/SNA Lead and Practice Educator

SWL Training Hub holds regular webinars for anyone interested in finding out more about employing an SNA, a Registered NA or training as a Nursing Associate. This is open to health and social care and also to employers and those who may be interested in becoming a Nursing Associate. We can also offer individual support if helpful.

Resources

View and download: Registered Nursing Associates Working in Primary Care (Flipbook)