New opportunities for people to get into Nursing are being created by the University of Worcester, after being awarded a contract to deliver training for more than 200 Nursing Associate Apprentices.
The first cohort from this contract will begin their studies this autumn on a programme that will allow people to study part-time to become a Registered Nursing Associate.
The Nursing Associate role was created by the Government to meet the changing health and care needs of patients and the public and help bridge the gap between health and care assistants and registered nurses. A Nursing Associate is a professional role in its own right but also provides a direct progression route into graduate level nursing.
The University of Worcester was one of the first universities in England to trail blaze the Nursing Associate role, following the initial pilot phase, and the first cohort completed their studies in the spring. All have now secured jobs in the NHS and are having a positive impact on the care of patients locally.
Ally Middleton, Clinical Project Manager (Nursing Associates) for Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, said: “This new nursing role is really important for Worcestershire and for the future care of our patients. It is vital to give a new generation of staff the enhanced education and skills required to deliver great, hands-on care to all patients. The work-based learning programme taking place in clinical areas, will give our trainees the perfect experience to help shape them in to this future role.”
The three-year contract with Herefordshire and Worcestershire NHS partners, that include Worcestershire Health and Care Trust, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, Wye Valley and 2gether Trust, to deliver Nursing Associate Apprenticeships builds on the University’s outstanding reputation for educating the health professionals who work in our hospitals and communities.
Robert Dudley, Head of the Three Counties School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Worcester, said: “We are very pleased to be able to offer this new pathway into a career in Nursing and hope that it will encourage many more people to take the step towards one of the most rewarding careers there is.
“For many years we have been educating outstanding health care professionals who graduate to serve people throughout the Three Counties, the wider West midlands and beyond. This latest development will allow us to further contribute to meeting the healthcare needs of the population.”
The University of Worcester has been shortlisted five times as Nurse Education Provider of the Year in the Student Nursing Times Awards and has long campaigned for the Government to increase Nurse training opportunities to meet the most acute national shortage for decades.
Students at Worcester benefit from well-qualified, creative, highly professional staff who are expert in supporting and educating students who use first class, specialist simulation and skills facilities to support their learning. In addition to the new Nursing Associate Apprenticeships, the University offers undergraduate courses in Adult, Child and Mental Health Nursing, where students spend three years combining academic study with practical skills training, and a minimum of 2,300 hours working in hospitals wards, GP surgeries and community health clinics. Graduate employment rates are 100% with Worcester qualified nurses in high demand throughout Britain and beyond. Worcester nursing students are frequently offered jobs before they graduate and are spoilt for choice with job offers.
With a reputation for the highest quality provision, partnership working and delivery, the University plays a leading role in researching and developing innovative and creative solutions in health and wellbeing, such as establishing the UK’s first Masters in Physician Associates, to help meet the changing needs of the health service.
The University is currently well advanced in working towards the creation of the Three Counties Medical School, which will see it expand its expertise in health care education and provide much-needed training for Doctors across these communities.
To find out more about a studying Nursing at Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk