Key details

Award: Foundation Degree

Programme duration: 2 years full-time

Intakes: March and October

Accreditation: Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved

March 2025 entry deadlines:

• Deadline for new partners: Friday 31st January
• Deadline for current partners: Friday 14th February
• Start date: Monday 31st March

Read more about the nursing associate profession on the NMC website

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Key programme information

• The programme is an Apprenticeship foundation degree course.
• It is a generic course that covers all four fields: Adult, Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Child.
• The course is split into work-based learning and “off-the-job” learning (university study days and alternative placements).
• The Nursing Associate completes 3000 hours of learning over the two-year programme.
• The two years are divided into 4 units.
• This programme will lead to a foundation degree and registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Student Nursing Associate (SNA).

How is this achieved?

Student Nursing Associates must experience placements in each of the three health and care settings: hospital, at home and close to home settings. Their primary placement, where they are employed, will be based in one of these training contexts but they must have experience of at least one other placement in each of the other settings. 

The learning environment in all placements should provide and facilitate learning activities designed to achieve the stated learning outcomes. A Student Nursing Associate will successfully achieve the described outcomes based on appropriate assessment tasks and criteria. 

The university offers outstanding and creative teaching. University Clinical Educators provide a supportive link between work-based learning and academic studies.

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Accreditation

This programme is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). It will give you the clinical skills and knowledge you need for entry into the NMC professional register as a Nursing Associate.