Additional
| Apprenticeship | Nursing Associate |
|---|---|
| Education Provider | The Open University |
| Location | Online |
Nursing Associate (Level 5)
Nursing Associates bridge the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses to deliver hands-on, person-centred care as part of the nursing team. They work with people of all ages in a variety of settings in health and social care. NHSE’s animation showcases the role across different settings giving practical examples of the duties being carried out and the benefits they bring to employers. These benefits include improved service delivery and patient care, improved staff retention through career progression and contribution to widening participation.
Employer Feedback
Feedback from Managers on the benefits the Nursing Associate apprenticeship has brought to the organisation:
”Our apprentice has grown in confidence and developed their clinical skills, especially around Asthma, which has freed up nurse time to deal with the more complex cases.”
”The apprentice’s knowledge in areas has improved massively along with their confidence. Key areas like learning disabilities and palliative care will be very beneficial to the practice and patients.”
”Workforce development.”
”Given additional capacity for patients. Supported a staff member to develop whilst still working here.”
”Improved knowledge and skills, which in turn provides improved confidence in the workplace. This in turn provided enhanced care to our patients.”
”Developing existing staff and offering pathways for progression, which has helped staff see they can develop. Clinically we are excited to see how the role develops when apprentice qualifies.”
”Enhanced Services, Increased Capacity and New service delivery.”
”Enhanced level of patient care and Additional capacity of some services.”
‘‘Developed skills and clinical knowledge, sparked interest in other fields of nursing not previously exposed to, and apprentice gained confidence.”
”Increased skills, more diverse appointments and more confidence in seeing complex patients which in turn improves service to patients.”
”Member of staff has relieved pressure from the nursing team.”
Duration
24 months
24 months
Most Suitable For
Healthcare Support Workers/Care Support Worker. Other roles and experience will be considered on an individual basis.
Healthcare Support Workers/Care Support Worker. Other roles and experience will be considered on an individual basis.
Award
Level 5 Nursing Associate Higher Apprenticeship award and Foundation Degree in Nursing Associate. On successful completion, learners are able to register with the NMC.
Level 5 Nursing Associate Higher Apprenticeship award and Foundation Degree in Nursing Associate. On successful completion, learners are able to register with the NMC.
Programme Cost
£15,000.
Tuition fee financial support options and instructions on how to apply for these are detailed in our Apprenticeships Process Employer Guide.
Additional Funding
- If apprentice is under the age of 25, Employer may not have to pay Class 1 Employer National Insurance. Full details and criteria are found here.
- For apprenticeships starting between 1 August 2024 - 31 July 2026, employer may be eligible for £1,000 if apprentice is aged 16 - 18 years old (or 15 years of age if the apprentice’s 16th birthday is between the last Friday of June and 31 August); or aged between 19 and 24 years old and has either an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan provided by their local authority and / or has been, or are, in the care of their local authority. Full details and criteria are found within the relevant DfE Funding Rules.
- Some Councils are providing incentive payments to local small employers who recruit and employ young apprentices. To find out more, including eligibility and how to apply for an incentive, please visit Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub (details within the GRANT presentation)
- Lancashire County Council incentive is £3,000 for 100 Lancashire employers
- Chorley Council incentive is £1,500 for Chorley employers
- Fylde Borough Council incentive is £5,000 for Fylde employers recruiting a new apprentice who is a Fylde resident.
For Primary Care Employers:
- ARRS Funding: Includes reimbursing training time for Student Nursing Associates. Contact your PCN for eligibility, availability and to apply. Use the Training Hub ARRS webpage if you require further assistance.
- NHSE Nursing Associate Funding2025-2026: For employers whose apprentices start on programme from 1st April 2025 to 31 March 2026. The training grant is £4,161 per year for up to 2 years. Employers need to apply for this and have up to the 31st March 2026 to do so, however we recommend applying as soon as possible as this training grant is no longer guaranteed. Please contact the training hub apprenticeships team for application instructions [email protected]
Start Date
Usually October and February
Usually October and February
Teaching Delivery
Online teaching and resources. Teaching sessions usually take place in the evening and weekends.
Online teaching and resources. Teaching sessions usually take place in the evening and weekends.
Key Learning Requirements
Learning must cover pre-conception to death, across all four nursing fields (Adult, Child, MH and LD) and home, close to home and hospital settings. NMC requires minimum 1,150 hours of Theory and 1,150 hours of Practical learning (of which minimum 460 hours must be in external settings) over the duration of the course.
Apprenticeships require learners to achieve specific new knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs). For this programme, in order to achieve the NMC requirements and KSBs, a minimum of 80% of the learner’s normal working hours (if working 30 hours per week) must be dedicated to the apprenticeship. This is achieved by;
1) Programme Teaching; Online teaching and resources, may include 1 evening teaching session a week plus self learning resources. Learners need to have a high degree of self-motivation for online learning (resources are available to help prepare learners https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/education/essential-skills-ou-study ). Example planners are available.
2) Independent study; such as assignment/project research and write up.
3) Learning in the workplace; shadowing colleagues, completing programme assigned work based projects, day-to-day development within your current role duties/work activities, reflections with assessor, relevant training sessions.
4) External Placements; required for this programme. The main external placements are usually arranged in block weeks each averaging between 1 – 4 weeks in duration. Support with arrangements of these will be carried out by the Open University’s Practice Based Learning Team and your Training Hub Locality’s General Practice Education Facilitator (GPEF).
Modules
This programme has fixed module delivery (you are unable to choose the modules studied). A list of modules is available on the course webpage or course materials.
This programme has fixed module delivery (you are unable to choose the modules studied). A list of modules is available on the course webpage or course materials.
Placements
Placements are required.
Placements are required.
Assessments
Apprentices will be assessed throughout the programme by assignments, observations/evaluations and End Point Assessment.
Apprentices will be assessed throughout the programme by assignments, observations/evaluations and End Point Assessment.
Key Candidate Entry Requirements
• Employed 30 hours or more per week for the duration of the apprenticeship (2 year route).
• Preferably, evidence of English and Maths at GCSE C/4 or above /Functional Skills Level 2 / Equivalent.
• Recent Enhanced DBS and OH clearances (Employer’s responsibility)
Full requirements and details are found on the university course webpage.
Key Employer Entry Requirements
• Ensure Learner has the support and opportunities to achieve the requirements of the apprenticeship.
• 2 Registered Nurses available, one of which must be the named Practice Assessor. There must be contingency in place should the GPN Practice Assessor be unable to continue supporting the learner at any point (i.e. that another GPN can step in/up to take on the role of Practice Assessor).
• An educational audit (ULE) for Nursing students and a partnership agreement with the HEI and NMC. Practices will be supported through these if not already in place.
Full requirements and details are found on the university course webpage.
Listed as an Approved Provider under an NHS Procurement
Yes
Yes
Application Timescale
- It takes on average 4 – 5 months to complete all application stages for this programme.
- If recruiting to this position, additional time will be required for recruitment and advertising stages.
Education Provider Deadlines Include:
- For October intakes applications need to have started before March.
- For February intakes applications need to have started before October.
- Find out more, including a short video series explaining the programme options, funding, and next steps, via this link.
Additional Training Hub Support
Primary Care employees have access to:
- All resources provided by the Training Hub such as Digital training, Health and Wellbeing support and events.
- Clinical CPD opportunities: via Locality Training Hub.
- Visit our Nursing Associate webpage for more information on the role in Primary Care, plus further training, support and resources.
- Audit (ULE) and Assessor Support via Local GPEFs.
- Placement Support: via Local GPEFs. Once on programme the GPEF will provide more details and is able to assist with queries.
Pathway
On successful completion of this apprenticeship, examples of further apprenticeship options include; Nursing Top-Up. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has an interactive occupational maps tool which shows the variety of progression pathways using apprenticeships.
Career progression does not have to be linear. Entry criteria may differ per provider and even more varied routes may be available depending on the individuals prior learning and experience.
Information Last Updated
11/07/2025
11/07/2025
Further Programme and Provider Information
- Apprenticeship Standard
- Programme Webpage
-
The OU run employer information sessions, tailored specifically for Primary Care and PIVO employers. More information including upcoming sessions are detailed here
If you would like to know anything further about the programme itself, please contact: Barb Cochee, Senior Partnership Development Manager (Health and Care) on [email protected] or [email protected]
How to Apply
If you would like to apply for an apprenticeship (either for yourself, a member of staff or a vacancy position), please complete the Primary Care Expression of Interest Form. This is for Primary Care Employers within Lancashire and South Cumbria only. By completing the expression of interest form, the Training Hub Apprenticeships team will be able to complete basic pre-checks, provide you with personalised guidance, and start the programme application process for you. If you would like to discuss anything first, please email [email protected] or call Olivia, Apprenticeships Manager, on 07735161775. You can find out more about the stages of applying for an apprenticeship within our Apprenticeships Process - Employer Guide. Social Care Employers within Lancashire and South Cumbria, please contact Dawn on [email protected]
