Program Overview

Nursing Associate FdSc

Overview

The Nursing Associate Foundation Degree (FdSc) at Edge Hill University is a two-year program that prepares students for a career in nursing. The program is designed to provide students with the skills, knowledge, and competencies required to deliver safe and effective care in a range of settings.

Course Features

• Professional accreditation
• Professional practice placements

What You'll Study

This two-year foundation degree is delivered within a supportive learning environment. It offers perspectives on health, ill health, health promotion and protection, life sciences, and nursing practice in a range of settings. The program comprises approximately 50% theory and 50% practice.

You will have the opportunity to achieve national proficiencies relating to the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Standards of Proficiency for Nursing Associates. This will enable you to become an accountable professional, promote health and prevent ill health, provide and monitor care, work as part of a team, improve safety and the quality of care, and contribute to integrated care.

Year 1

• The Foundations of Nursing Associate Practice
  • Module code: NUR1010
  • Credits: 120
  • Assessment: 50% Practical, 25% Coursework, 25% Time Limited Assessment

Year 2

• Preparing for the Role of the Nursing Associate
  • Module code: NUR2010
  • Credits: 120
  • Assessment: 50% Coursework, 25% Practical, 25% Time Limited Assessment

How You'll Study

You will be taught through a combination of seminars, lectures, tutorials, and technology-enhanced learning. The theory part of the program typically involves attendance at university on two days per week. While the majority of classes will take place at Edge Hill University, some sessions may involve studying at other sites where you will be responsible for travel and parking costs.

You will spend a substantial amount of time in practice. Placements are undertaken on a full-time basis in hospitals, community settings, and people's homes. You will be supported by a practice placement supervisor, a practice education lecturer, and a practice assessor.

How You'll Be Assessed

Assessment in both theory and practice is continuous, assessed against Nursing and Midwifery Council competencies, where students are required to demonstrate evidence of their achievement. A range of assessments includes assignments, time-limited assessments, clinical reasoning, and simulated practice exams. You will also be assessed in practice.

Who Will Be Teaching You

All lectures are delivered by professionals within the field of nursing as well as specialists in other areas. The program team represents a range of qualified, research-active professionals with extensive experience of working within the health and/or social care sector. Most importantly, service users, carers, and their families will be involved in facilitating your learning so that you gain an understanding of the impact care has on individual groups.

Entry Criteria

• Typical offer: 32 UCAS Tariff points. No specific subjects are required.
• You must also have GCSE English Language and GCSE Mathematics at Grade C or Grade 4 or above (or equivalent).
• An interview forms part of the selection process.
• If you accept an offer from Edge Hill, you will need to satisfy the requirements of the Nursing & Midwifery Council in respect of physical and mental fitness and will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure indicating that you meet the mandatory criteria of 'Clearance to Work with Children and/or Vulnerable Adults'.

Example Offers

• A Level: EE
• UCAS Tariff points: 32 points
• BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications): Pass, Pass, Pass (PPP)
• T Level: Overall grade of Pass (E or above on the core)
• International Baccalaureate (IB): We are happy to accept IB qualifications which achieve the required number of UCAS Tariff points.

How to Apply

• Apply online through UCAS
• Read our guide to applying through UCAS to find out more about the application process.

Facilities

• The Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine offers outstanding facilities for the education and training of health and social care professionals.
• The contemporary teaching and learning resources include leading-edge clinical skills facilities, an 860-seat lecture theatre, and a variety of teaching rooms and social learning spaces.

Finance

• 2024/25: £6,165 a year
• 2025/26: £9,535 a year
• The University may administer a small inflationary rise in tuition fees, in line with Government policy, in subsequent academic years as you progress through the course.
• EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.

Your Future Career

After graduating from our nursing associate degree, you'll be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a qualified nursing associate, ready to join this growing profession.

This foundation course prepares you for becoming a nursing associate, able to work in many different settings within healthcare, such as:

• GP surgeries
• NHS trusts
• nursing homes
• health centres
• prisons

Previous students have gone on to find rewarding employment in organisations such as:

• Liverpool University Hospital Trusts
• Mersey Care Foundation Trust
• St Helens and Knowsley Hospital Trust
• The Walton Centre
• Southport and Ormskirk Trust

Graduates may also want to continue their studies, applying for one of our BSc (Hons) Nursing courses to top up their qualification and train in a specialist field of nursing.