About this course
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.
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.
With NTU’s focus on practical learning, academic excellence, and collaboration with employers, this apprenticeship positions learners to thrive in a challenging and rewarding role within the healthcare sector.
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100% of our Level 5 Nursing Associate apprentices believe the course has improved their career prospects (National Student Survey, 2024). -
NTU is rated the top-rated University provider of higher and degree apprenticeships in the UK (RateMyApprenticeship, 2024) -
You'll taught by a dynamic team of lecturers who are also qualified nurses. -
Our amazing facilities in the Centre for Health and Allied Professions allow you to learn effectively and become part of the NTU Nursing community.
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.
Professional Practice and Accountability (20 Credit Points)
- 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.
Promoting Health and Wellbeing (20 Credit Points)
- 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.
- Student nursing associates will explore aspects of practice, integrating theory and experimental learning to inform how they can take an active role in the promotion of health and prevention of ill-health.
Person Centred Care (20 Credit Points)
- This module explores how to effectively work in partnership with people to provide compassionate, safe and effective care. The module will encourage trainee nursing associates to appraise person-centred care as part of work-based learning and consider necessary requirements when planning and delivering care for commonly encountered health conditions.
Applied Anatomy and Physiology (20 Credit Points)
- 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.
- Following an introduction to the fundamental concepts trainee nursing associates will be guided through the application of knowledge to the practice setting and common health conditions.
Essence of Care 1 (40 Credit Points)
- This module introduces the knowledge, skills and behaviours which are required to be an effective, safe practitioner.
- Trainee nursing associates will explore key concepts within social and behavioural sciences along with communication skills to enhance the effectiveness therapeutic interaction.
Managing Long Term Conditions (20 Credit Points)
- This module explores the management of long-term conditions through the use of integrated systems and collaborative working with the multidisciplinary team. It considers the challenges of delivering person-centred care for people with multifaceted health needs and explores transition of care across services.
Leadership and Teamwork (20 Credit Points)
- This module explores leadership styles, human factors and the effective prioritisation and delegation of tasks to assist trainee nursing associates work effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team. This module will combine the theoretical aspects of leadership and teamwork with opportunities to develop skills as part of work-based learning.
Supervision, Assessment and Communication (20 Credit Points)
- This module focuses on the skills required to support learners and patients in practice. This module will develop the theoretical understanding of knowledge and skills required to supervise and provide feedback while providing opportunity to consolidate these skills as part of work-based learning.
Optimising Safety and Quality in Healthcare (20 Credit Points)
- This module considers quality and safety in healthcare. The focus of the module is to develop understanding of risk assessment and quality improvement in practice to ensure quality care delivery remains a priority.
Essence of Care 2 (40 Credit Points)
- This module builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year one. Module content provides opportunity to develop proficiency and competency in developing therapeutic interactions and the administration of medication. The combined approach of clinical skills sessions and work-based learning will enable trainee nursing associates to develop confidence in patient assessment and across a range of procedures.
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. This is normally done at a Gateway review meeting which takes place near the end of the apprenticeship. At this meeting, all three parties will check that the mandatory aspects of the apprenticeship have been completed and that the apprentice is ready to take their final assessment(s).
Apprentices must meet the Gateway requirement set out in the assessment plan before taking their EPA.
End-Point Assessment
This apprenticeship is integrated. This means that 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.
The end-point assessment for this apprenticeship standard is the examination board.
Successful completion of this apprenticeship will meet the education requirements for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
How you're taught
This apprenticeship is taught at NTU's Institute for Health and Allied Professionals at the Mansfield Hub in October and the Clifton Campus in January.
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 20 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 setting 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 which will be in the format of an E-portfolio on a PebblePad platform
- Essays
- Reflective accounts
- Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)
- Presentations
- Academic posters
- Multiple choice and short answer question exams
- Professional discussion
- Medication calculation exam
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.
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!
You’re also right next to the bright lights of Nottingham — one of Britain’s top 10 student cities, and one of Europe’s top 25. All through termtime, a dedicated on-campus bus service will get you to the heart of the action (and back) in under 25 minutes. You’ll find a city stuffed with history, culture, and well-kept secrets to discover at your leisure: enjoy lush green spaces, galleries, hidden cinemas and vintage shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink and social scene by night.
Take our virtual tour to get a real feel for the campus.
Entry requirements
UK students
Standard offer: GCSE grade 4/C or equivalent in Maths and English
Other requirements: Attend and complete an assessment day
Additional requirements for UK students
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.
- 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 in to a contract with the learner and NTU, pledging to provide adequate support and opportunities for development to enable the learner to succeed.
- Agree to accommodate the 20% off the job training requirement, ensuring that the apprentice can attend all taught sessions delivered at NTU's Clifton campus / Mansfield Hub as well as having time to conduct independent study.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
We will review your identity documents / immigration status to verify your residency eligibility in line with the apprenticeship funding rules, at the application stage.
Additional requirements for international students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
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Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
