Foundation Degree in Science in Health and Social Care: Nursing Associate
2025/26 entry
Train to become an NMC Registered Nursing Associate.
- Length: 2 years full-time
- Typical offer: (full entry requirements)
- Start date: September 2025 (semester dates)
- Department: Department of Health Sciences
The Nursing Associate is a clinical support role that bridges the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses.
Nursing Associates are registered professionals, taking accountability for their clinical competency, ability and delegation in care.
Nursing Associates support registered nurses to take on a broader role of leadership and care coordination, as outlined in the Future Nurse Standards (NMC, 2018).
This course prepares you to work alongside healthcare assistants and registered nurses to deliver hands-on, person-centred care as part of nursing teams.
This is an integrated apprenticeship course which leads to a Nursing Associate Apprenticeship at Level 5. During the course you are employed as a trainee Nursing Associate. You'll experience practice in a variety of settings in health and social care and with people of all ages. You spend approximately one day per week completing university study.
Nursing Associate is a stand-alone role, but the course is a good step towards studying nursing at a higher level.
Accreditation
On completion of the course, you will be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Nursing Associate.
In this film from Health Education England, we meet trainee nursing associates who describe the vital part they play as members of the wider nursing team.
Apprenticeship
Talk to your employer about applying for this programme.
Earn while you learn
Stay in work while you level up to Nursing Associate.
Course content
The taught elements of your course focus on the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes you'll need as a Nursing Associate. You'll gain the numeracy, literacy and digital skills required to meet the needs of people in your care.
Alongside your studies, you'll work in practice, giving you true experiences of applying theory to practice. This will help to develop your understanding of the complexity of care, and promote your ability to analyse complex problems and make sound decisions.
Your normal place of work will act as your main “base” placement. You'll also undertake specialist external placements to ensure you have a range of experience in different settings.
- Essential Skills for Nursing Associate Practice (10 credits)
- Fundamental Concepts of Health (10 credits)
- Biosciences underpinning Nursing Associate Practice (10 credits)
- Evidenced Based Practice and Quality Improvement (10 credits)
- Meeting Care Needs (10 credits)
- Professional Values (10 credits)
- Nursing Associate Practice 1 (60 credits)
- Medicines Optimisation (10 credits)
- Assessing Safety and Risk (10 credits)
- Working in Inclusive Partnerships (10 credits)
- Public Health and Health Promotion (10 credits)
- Supporting, Supervising and Collaborating with Others (10 credits)
- Supporting Integrated Care (10 credits)
- Nursing Associate Practice 2 (60 credits)
The endpoint assessment (EPA) is integrated throughout the programme, so you will not need to complete a separate EPA assessment. It incorporates all the progression points that you will make throughout the programme to ensure adequate competition.
The End Point Assessment for this apprenticeship is an Exam Board. To successfully meet the requirements of the Exam Board, you will need to have completed the following elements:
- Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care: Nursing Associate
- Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours in the Apprenticeship Standard
- Level 2 English and Maths or equivalent. Minimum GCSE grade C/4-9 or L2 functional skills or ENIC UK equivalent
- All statutory practice hours in line with Nursing Associates Programme Standards (NMC 2018)
- All Practice Assessment Document (PAD) (signed off)
- Declaration of Good Health and Good Character (NMC 2018)
These learning outcomes and KSBs illustrate what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities to meet the learning outcomes, and KSBs help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Learners who complete this course will be able to:
- Consider all aspects of their professional practice within the Nursing Associate role with accountability and responsibility.
- Promote health and wellbeing, the maintenance of it, and the prevention of ill-health.
- Contribute to an assessment; monitor an individual's care and identify and escalate concerns where necessary.
- Communicate effectively within teams, to support the delivery of high quality care for all individuals.
- Identify and respond to risk, so as to inform improvements in the quality and safety of person-centred care and compassionate practice.
- Collaborate in partnership with stakeholders across a range of organisations, settings, lifespan and fields of practice to deliver integrated individual care.
Apprenticeship funding
As an apprentice you do not pay course fees. An apprentice is employed by an organisation, which entitles them to earn as they learn. Please contact your employer for further details around apprenticeship routes for this programme.
Additional costs
There may be other costs associated with studying this course, including a laptop, travel to University or external placements, books and internet access.
If you're on a low income, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching format
Learning is balanced between practice and theory. Over the 2 years, you’ll undertake 720 hours of protected learning time in your base placement and 480 hours of protected learning time in a range of external placements. You'll get exposure to service users across a range of settings and lifespans. As an apprentice learner, at least 20% of your time must be for academic study; at least 20% of your protected learning time will be in external practice placements and the remainder of your protected learning time will be in your base placement.
Teaching will include face to face sessions including lectures, seminars, and workshops. There will also be an element of online learning.
Teaching location
You'll experience practice in a variety of clinical settings, and spend approximately one day per week completing university study.
Assessment and feedback
You'll be assessed on both your theoretical and practical knowledge skills throughout the course. You will have to successfully complete all areas to be able to progress.
You’ll submit summative work, which counts towards your final degree score, and formative assessment (which is not assessed but gives you the chance to practice your academic skills and receive valuable feedback). We’ll provide detailed feedback on the work you submit, supporting you as you improve and refine your work.
Careers and skills
The Nursing Associate role is a distinct role. It may also provide a progression route into graduate nursing. Your skills and knowledge will also be suitable for a wide range of positions in health and social care and other related fields.
Career opportunities
As you progress through your career, you could go onto a number of roles including:
- registered nurse
- clinical team leader
- counsellor
- therapist
- nurse consultant
-
clinical nurse specialist
- research nurse
- modern matron
- clinical educator
- advanced nurse practioner
Transferable skills
Alongside gaining the essential practical skills and knowledge you need to be an effective Nursing Associate, you'll gain a huge range of skills that will help you to succeed no matter what career path you follow:
- working in teams
- independent learning
- service improvement and managing change
- self-awareness and reflection
- supporting and supervising others
Entry requirements
We only invite people to apply who have been put forward by their organisation following the Expression of Interest process. We cannot accept any direct applications.
- Ability to study at Level 5
- Level 2 Maths and English or equivalent. Minimum GCSE grade C/4-9 or L2 Functional Skills or ENIC UK equivalent
- You must be aged 16 or over, living in England and not in full-time education
Find out more about eligibility.
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability.
All places are offered subject to a satisfactory enhanced current (within three months) Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosure and register with the update service. You will also have to undertake an occupational health screening. This will involve completing an on-line occupational health questionnaire and attendance if required at an occupational health appointment.
How to apply
Your employer will circulate details of the apprenticeship and an Expression of Interest Form for completion if you would like to be considered for the programme. Once the deadline has closed, your employer will assess the applications and if you are a suitable candidate, your details will be forwarded to the university.
If your employer puts your name forward, our Apprenticeships Unit will ask you to complete the University of York application.
University of York application
The University application consists of three documents. All must be completed as part of your application:
Online application form
You will receive access to the You@York applicant portal within 24-48 hours of submitting the online application form. Once you have access to the portal you will be able to login to add additional documents.
Initial Assessment form
This is a self-assessment form which is used to assess your eligibility for the programme and identify where you have prior experiential or certificated learning; create an Individual Learning Plan and calculate funding costs.
Supplementary application form
You'll receive full details about completing the supplementary form by email.
Shortlisting and interview
Once the University of York application deadline has closed, the programme team will shortlist applicants for interview.
If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to attend an interview. This will be with a member of the programme team who is working alongside either a Practice partner representative or service user or carer representative. You'll be asked questions to determine your suitability for the apprenticeship programme. The interviewers will discuss with you your responses to the Initial Assessment. You will have the opportunity to ask the interviewers any questions you may have.
Next steps
Contact us
Get in touch if you have any questions
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