FdSc Nursing Associate - Full-time

The nursing associate role is a support role that sits alongside existing healthcare support workers and fully-qualified registered nurses to deliver hands-on care for patients. After successfully completing the foundation degree you’ll possess a range of transferable skills, such as study skills, communication and interpersonal skills, self-awareness and team working. During your studies you’ll also become familiar with ideas such as reflective practice, managing stress and change management and their application to healthcare contexts, ready for your future employment as a nursing associate.

Once qualified and registered, you’ll be well-prepared to gain employment as a nursing associate and give care to people of all ages in a range of settings across health and social care. Like nurses and other health professionals, you may expand your scope of practice through further education and experience.

The nursing associate is a stand-alone role in its own right. It offers a route into nursing and bridges the gap between senior healthcare assistants who hold a care certificate and registered, graduate nurses. As a nurse associate you’ll work alongside care assistants and registered nurses to deliver hands-on care, focusing on ensuring patients continue to get the compassionate care they deserve.

As a nursing associate, you’ll work under the direction of fully qualified registered nurses. Following your training as a nursing associate, you’ll be qualified to undertake some of the duties that registered nurses undertake. If you wish to take on further responsibilities and your ambition is to become a registered nurse, you’ll be able to apply for further study in pre-registration nursing. You could consider programmes such as the University of Bolton’s BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) or BSc (Hons) Nursing (Children) and you may be eligible to apply for year 2 entry.

Alternative Career Options
Counselling
Dietetics
Writing and journalism
Occupational therapy
Mental health
Social work
Teaching and education
Health promotion
Mentoring
Armed forces
Community support
Youth work
Care home management
Health services management
Child protection
Early years

You must have GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics and demonstrate the academic aptitude to undertake this programme. Functional Skills Level 2 in Literacy and Numeracy are accepted as equivalent to GCSEs. Please contact the University for other GCSE equivalent qualifications that would be accepted for entry onto this course.

The course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

On successful completion of the foundation degree you’ll be eligible to apply for professional registration with the NMC.

Key Features:
Our approach to teaching and learning is ‘student-centred’, so we’ll work with you on an individual basis, providing tailored help and support throughout your studies.
Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
Essential values and behaviours are embedded within the programme. We’ll guide you as you learn the responsibilities and professional values of a nursing associate and the nursing profession, and encourage you to demonstrate a personal commitment to professional standards and ethical practice.
We’ll support you as you learn to treat people with dignity, respecting each individual’s diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values, privacy and preferences.
We’ll encourage you to develop team working, leadership, communication and inter-personal skills, as well as a commitment to lifelong learning.