Program Overview

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Nursing Associate Level 5 Foundation Degree Apprenticeship FdSc

The Level 5 Nursing Associate Foundation Degree Apprenticeship at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is designed to prepare apprentices for a vital role in healthcare. Nursing associates work alongside registered nurses and other healthcare professionals, delivering high-quality, person-centred care across diverse settings. This apprenticeship combines academic study with hands-on experience, enabling apprentices to develop the practical skills and theoretical knowledge needed to make a meaningful impact in patient care.

About this Course

Delivered in collaboration with healthcare employers, the programme ensures apprentices gain real-world experience while working towards a nationally recognised qualification. NTU's expert teaching team, along with access to modern facilities, supports apprentices' learning journeys as they enhance their clinical abilities and deepen their understanding of healthcare principles. Accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), this course meets professional standards and equips apprentices with the skills required to progress in their healthcare careers or further their studies to become registered nurses.

What you'll Study

This course aims to provide a route to achieving the Foundation Degree [Higher] Apprenticeship for Nursing Associate by combining all the components required for this apprenticeship in a single, unified programme of study. You will cover aspects such as:

• Professionalism
• Accountability
• Health promotion
• Person-centred care
• Anatomy and physiology
• Long-term conditions
• Health and safety
• Quality issues
• Leadership
• Supervision
• Clinical skills

Course Accreditations

Accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), this work-based apprenticeship course is designed for staff in employment across health and social care to meet the NMC standards of proficiency for nursing associates.

Module Information

Here's a breakdown of what you'll be studying throughout the course:

Modules

Year One

• Professional Practice and Accountability: This module introduces the role of the nursing associate and the NMC Code of professional standards of practice and behaviour, focusing on the professional identity and accountability that accompanies professional registration. (20 credits)
• Promoting Health and Wellbeing: This module introduces the concept of health promotion and prevention of ill health to enable the population to improve and maintain their mental, physical, and behavioural health and wellbeing. (20 credits)
• Person Centred Care: This module explores how to effectively work in partnership with people to provide compassionate, safe, and effective care. (20 credits)
• Applied Anatomy and Physiology: This module introduces the trainee nursing associate to human development, anatomy, and physiology to enable a more in-depth understanding of health and wellbeing across the lifespan. (20 credits)
• Essence of Care 1: This module introduces the knowledge, skills, and behaviours which are required to be an effective, safe practitioner. (40 credits)

Year Two

• Managing Long Term Conditions: This module explores the management of long-term conditions through the use of integrated systems and collaborative working with the multidisciplinary team. (20 credits)
• Leadership and Teamwork: This module explores leadership styles, human factors, and the effective prioritisation and delegation of tasks to assist trainee nursing associates to work effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team. (20 credits)
• Supervision, Assessment and Communication: This module focuses on the skills required to support learners and patients in practice. (20 credits)
• Optimising Safety and Quality in Healthcare: This module considers quality and safety in healthcare, developing understanding of risk assessment and quality improvement in practice. (20 credits)
• Essence of Care 2: This module builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year one, providing opportunity to develop proficiency and competency in developing therapeutic interactions and the administration of medication. (40 credits)

Completing your Apprenticeship

To achieve the apprenticeship, all apprentices must complete an End-Point Assessment (EPA). The EPA is an independent assessment that ascertains whether an apprentice is competent in their occupation.

Gateway

Gateway is the period of time between the end of the off-the-job training (practical period) and the beginning of the assessment period when EPA will take place. At Gateway, the apprentice, employer, and training provider will review the apprentice's knowledge, skills, and behaviours to determine whether they are ready to take their EPA.

End-Point Assessment

This apprenticeship is integrated, meaning the end-point assessment is administered by Nottingham Trent University and is usually linked to the academic award that apprentices study whilst in their off-the-job training period. Details of the assessment elements can be found in the assessment plan.

How you're Taught

This apprenticeship is taught at NTU's Institute for Health and Allied Professionals at the Mansfield Hub and the Clifton Campus. Delivered on a day-release basis, your learning will have a work-based focus, with a wide range of activities and methods. You'll attend for one full week of study at the beginning of each academic year and then regularly attend for one day per week alongside blended and independent learning activities for 44 weeks a year.

Placements

Across the two years, you will spend 460 hours on placement and will also have 690 hours of Protected Learning Time. Apprentices will access a wide variety of placements for 12 weeks over the two years to achieve the NMC programme hours and practice learning requirements. These placements will include experiences in adult, children's, mental health, and learning disability areas, across the lifespan in a variety of settings across community, hospital, primary, and social care settings.

How you're Assessed

This course integrates collaborative learning and uses a wide range of assessment methods to ensure that the course will be engaging and challenging. Throughout the course, the learning materials and assessments have a work-based focus, using case-studies, problem-based learning, and blended learning methods to demonstrate how theory underpins health and social care practice. Assessment methods include:

• A Practice Assessment Document and Ongoing Achievement Record
• Essays
• Reflective accounts
• Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)
• Presentations
• Academic posters
• Multiple choice and short answer question exams
• Professional discussion
• Medication calculation exam

Entry Requirements

UK Students

In order to be eligible to undertake an Apprenticeship, you must ensure the following are in place prior to the start date of the course:

• You are a UK resident or have the right to work in the UK.
• Have a job or a job offer from an employer who will support you to complete your apprenticeship.
• Will spend at least 50% of your working week in England over the duration of the apprenticeship.

Additional Requirements for UK Students

• Standard offer: GCSE grade 4/C or equivalent in Maths and English
• Other requirements: Attend and complete an assessment day
• You must also hold employment within a health and social care setting that allows a sufficient level of flexibility to facilitate the required 20% off-the-job training, provides opportunity for the development of new skills and application of theory to practice, and is either permanent or subject to a contract which will last for the duration of the course.
• You must be sponsored by an employer who must enter into a contract with the learner and NTU, pledging to provide adequate support and opportunities for development to enable the learner to succeed, and agree to accommodate the 20% off-the-job training requirement.

International Students

In order to be eligible to undertake an Apprenticeship, you must ensure you can fulfil the following prior to the start date of the course:

• You have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for at least the previous 3-year period on the first day of your apprenticeship.
• Your ordinary residence in the UK and Islands has not during any part of that period been wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education.
• You have permission granted by the UK government to live in the UK and such permission is not for education purposes only.
• You must be able to complete the apprenticeship in the time you have available (e.g., your Visa must last for the duration of the apprenticeship as well as your contract of employment).

Additional Requirements for International Students

• Standard offer: GCSE grade 4/C or equivalent in Maths and English
• Other requirements: Attend and complete an assessment day
• You must also hold employment within a health and social care setting that allows a sufficient level of flexibility to facilitate the required 20% off-the-job training, provides opportunity for the development of new skills and application of theory to practice, and is either permanent or subject to a contract which will last for the duration of the course.
• You must be sponsored by an employer who must enter into a contract with the learner and NTU, pledging to provide adequate support and opportunities for development to enable the learner to succeed, and agree to accommodate the 20% off-the-job training requirement.

Fees and Funding

UK Students

To undertake an apprenticeship, you must be employed. Your employer will pay your tuition fees.

International Students

To undertake an apprenticeship, you must be employed. Your employer will pay your tuition fees. We will review your identity documents/immigration status to verify residency eligibility in line with the apprenticeship funding rules at the application stage.

Careers and Employability

If you'd like to know more about NTU's groundbreaking Employability Promise, and the support you'll receive both during and after your course, visit our Careers and Employability page.

Employability Promise

Personalised support, one-on-one coaching, and industry-specific advice – it's all part of our Employability Promise. And it doesn't end when you leave NTU – you'll have access to all our careers services for three years after you graduate (conditions apply).

Campus and Facilities

You'll mainly be studying in the purpose-built Health & Allied Professions (HAP) Centre. The 34,000 square foot building features mock hospital wards, consultation and counselling rooms, creative teaching spaces, and specialist equipment. Our self-contained, community-focused Clifton Campus has been designed to keep our students busy between lectures. Catch-up with your coursemates in the Pavilion's barista café and Refectory; brainstorm group presentations in chic and stylish study spaces; enjoy some proper R&R in The Point, home of our Students' Union. The campus also hosts the multimillion-pound Clifton Sports Hub, offering great options for everyone — whatever your interests, and however competitive you'd like to get!