Program Overview

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FDSc Nursing Associate

Why study this course with LJMU?

• Qualify as a nursing associate with eligibility to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Nursing associates provide care that bridges the roles of registered nurses and health care assistants, and work across all healthcare settings
• After completing your two year foundation degree, you have the option to apply to enter the midpoint of our BSc (Hons) Nursing degrees
• Also available as a degree apprenticeship for employees of our partner organisations
• 95% of students surveyed said the academic support on our nursing courses was good or very good (National Student Survey 2024)

About your course

Nursing Associate Foundation Degree (FdSc)

Do you aspire to work in the nursing profession, but don't currently have the A Level or BTEC qualifications to apply? Liverpool John Moores' new Nursing Associate foundation degree could be the ideal way for you to start your journey to becoming a registered healthcare professional.

When you successfully complete this two-year foundation degree, you will be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a nursing associate.

Nursing associates play a vital role in patient care and are a key part of the nursing team. Working closely with registered nurses and healthcare support workers, nursing associate duties can include:

• performing and recording clinical observations, for example, blood pressure, temperature, respirations and pulse
• undertaking clinical tasks including venepuncture (taking bloods) and electrocardiograms (ECGs)
• supporting individuals and their families and carers at emotionally difficult times during their care
• discussing and sharing information with registered nurses on a patient's condition, behaviour, activity and responses
• ensuring the privacy, dignity and safety of individuals is maintained at all times
• recognising issues relating to safeguarding vulnerable children and adults.

You can read more about the role of a nursing associate on the NHS Health Careers website.

LJMU's FdSc Nursing Associate gives you lots of chances for hands on clinical skills practice, whilst supporting you to develop a robust knowledge base. Our professional tutors, student mentors and support staff are all here to help you progress through the foundation degree confidently and successfully.

Whether you decide to enter work as a registered nursing associate, or go on to apply to the half-way point of a BSc (Hons) Nursing degree, this foundation route offers a fantastic, accessible way to join the healthcare profession.

Course modules

What you will study on this degree

The modules you will undertake have been designed to meet the Nursing Midwifery Council’s (NMC) programme standards and proficiencies. They ensure you will be capable of demonstrating the knowledge, skills and behaviours to provide safe, effective and kind care that improves health and wellbeing.

All modules are core (compulsory).

Year 1

• Introduction to the Provision and Monitoring of Effective Care (20 credits)
• Promoting Health and Preventing Ill Health (20 credits)
• Principles of Law and Ethics for Nursing Associate Practice (20 credits)
• Establishing Effective Communication (20 credits)
• Principles of Nursing Associate Practice (20 credits)
• The Nursing Associate as a Professional (20 credits)

Year 2

• Improving Safety and Quality of Care (20 credits)
• Developing Provision and Monitoring of Effective Care (20 credits)
• Evidence based practice and Preventing Ill Health (20 credits)
• Effective Interdisciplinary Team Working (20 credits)
• Developing Nursing Associate Practice (20 credits)
• Complex Care and the Role of the Nursing Associate (20 credits)

Professional accreditation

This programme is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and aligned to the Standards for pre-registration nursing associate programmes (NMC, 2023).

Your Learning Experience

Teaching Support Assessment

Excellent facilities and learning resources

Your learning journey has been designed to be inspiring and motivating, provide tailored support, and to meet the specific NMC requirements for nursing associates.

You will learn through a mix of:

• lectures
• seminars
• group work activities
• simulation skills development sessions
• practice placements in a range of settings
• tutorials.

We use an active blended learning approach. This means you will attend face to face teaching on campus - usually at the School of Nursing and Advanced Practice, based in the Tithebarn Building (part of our City Campus), along with independent learning and work online. Examples of online activity include asynchronous tutorial discussions, discussion boards and collaborative or individual projects such as wikis, padlets, blogs and e-portfolios.

You will also complete two placements per year across a variety of healthcare settings.

You will be taught by a team of professionally qualified and experienced academic staff, who have experience in designing, developing and delivering professional programmes.

Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support

Every undergraduate student at Liverpool John Moores has a designated personal tutor, who is there to help you stay on track to achieving your degree. You will find out who your tutor is during induction.

Your personal tutor will work with you on:

• Personal Development Planning (PDP) appointments: This is a structured process intended to help you become a more effective, confident and independent learner. It will support you in gaining knowledge of your strengths, but also of areas in need of further development related to your academic, personal and professional aspirations.
• Pastoral support: Your personal tutor will also be knowledgeable of wider LJMU support services and you can approach your personal tutor if you are having any personal, financial or social problems that are affecting your studies. Your personal tutor may be able to help with the problem themselves, but if not, they can refer you on to the appropriate support, either inside or outside of the university.

As a FdSc Nursing Associate student, you will also be assigned practice supervisors and assessors for when you are out on placement, along with an academic assessor. They will support your learning and assessment in practice and confirm your progression.

We encourage students to take advantage of the study skills support available through Library Services. This covers everything from how to find the books or journals you need, through to the correct way of referencing them in your assignments.

Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.

You will have both formative and summative assessments throughout the programme.

Formative assessments are diagnostic in nature and focus on your development, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, in addition to providing you with feedback on your progress during the learning process.

The feedback may come from several sources, including academic staff, practice supervisors and assessors, service users and wider university support staff. You may receive this verbally or in written format. Formative feedback and feedforward are helpful in your development throughout the modules.

Examples of formative activities include discussion boards to develop learning networks, a reading log, article reviews and group presentations.

Summative assessments are the module assessments in which you need to pass to receive the credits for the module. Learning outcomes for the module will describe the knowledge, skills or expertise that you will need to demonstrate you have acquired to pass the assessment. As an undergraduate student, the pass mark for your assessments is usually 40%.

The assessments for each module have been designed to align with the learning outcomes and be authentic to Nursing Associate practice. This means that assessments will require you to use the same competencies, or combinations of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that you will need to apply in your professional life.

Where you will study

The School of Nursing and Advanced Practice is based in the Tithebarn Building, which is part of LJMU's City Campus. It's no exaggeration to say the School has some fantastic facilities! With hospital-grade clinical simulation suites, including nursing wards, intensive care, maternity and paramedic facilities, our students have access to the latest technology-enhanced learning environments.

You'll recognise Tithebarn Building from the giant Superlambanana public artwork sculpture that sits outside, and also marks the entrance to the adjoining Avril Robarts Library.

There are a wide range of physical learning resources across all sites that you will be able to access, including flexible learning spaces and IT suites.

As an LJMU student, you also have access to our Student Life Building and Sports Centre, situated at Copperas Hill. Student Life is home to a range of student-facing services, such as Advice and Wellbeing, the Student Futures team, and the Students’ Union (JMSU).

Career paths

Successful completion of the programme will allow you to apply for registration as a nursing associate with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This can lead to careers in the NHS, private sector and voluntary sector.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (2023) states that that by 2036/37, there will be over 64,000 nursing associates working in the NHS. Nursing associates can work across a variety of settings with patients and service users across the lifespan, encompassing physical and psychological health.

Qualified, registered nursing associates usually enter the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale at Band 4, which starts at £25,147 per year, rising to £27,596 after three years' experience.

In addition, students who have successfully completed a Foundation Degree Nursing Associate programme will be able to apply to enter Level 5 (Year 2) of a BSc (Hons) Nursing degree in order to progress in their career to Registered Nurse Status.

Student Futures - Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service

A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course, to ensure our students experience a transformation in their career trajectory. Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus during Level 4, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop your talents, passion and purpose.

Every student has access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU's suite of online Apps, resources and jobs board via the LJMU Student Futures website.

Tuition fees and funding

Home

• Full-time per year: £9,535

International

• Full-time per year: £18,250

Entry requirements

Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements

• A minimum of 32 UCAS points which can be achieved through A level or BTEC National Extended Diploma. A minimum of two GCSE's which must include Maths and English at grade C or above OR level 2 Equivalency in Numeracy and Literacy.

Additional requirements

• Assessment required: All applicants will be sent an admissions assessment. Once this assessment is completed your application will be reviewed by the admissions team. In certain cases you may also be required to attend an interview.
• DBS, Occupational Health requirements: International applicants will be required to have IELTs scores of 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each component
• RPL: Recognition of prior learning that is capable of being mapped to the Standards of proficiency for registered nurses and programme outcomes, up to a maximum of 50 percent of the programme, is permitted (NMC Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Associate Programmes, 2023: 1.5).