Nursing associate pilot arrives at the University of Surrey

The University of Surrey is working with the Surrey Heartlands Nursing Associate Consortium and Health Education England to run a two-year pilot scheme that will train students to become nursing associates, a new role that will respond to the future needs of health and social care.

The nursing associate programme is one of Health Education England’s national ‘second wave’ pilot schemes, which have the overall aim of creating a new generic healthcare professional and will be regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the future.

Nursing associates will be an important part of the workforce that will bridge the gap between Band 3 healthcare assistants and Band 5 registered nurses.

After successfully completing the two-year programme that started in April 2017, the trainees will receive a Diploma in Higher Education. The trainees are required to demonstrate their academic ability through assessments, work based learning and clinical competencies, and will complete placements within areas such as mental health, acute care, community, rehabilitation and care homes in line with the Health Education England recommendations, at hospital, at home and in the community.

Speaking at a ‘Meet the Trainee Nursing Associate’ event, Dr Melaine Coward, Head of the School of Health Sciences said: “We are pleased to be a part of this pilot scheme and want to thank the Surrey Heartlands Consortium members who we have worked closely with us to design, deliver and support this pilot programme. Without their support this wouldn’t have been possible.”

Mrs Alison Rhodes, Director of Health Sciences Education at the University of Surrey, said: “Our programme offers a fantastic opportunity to develop knowledge and skills within healthcare practice, enabling our trainee nursing associates to become an integral part of interprofessional teams. We are very proud of our trainees and what they have achieved within a very short period of time.”