Everything you need to know about becoming a Nursing Associate

Shape Your Nursing Future

So you’re passionate about nursing, but want transferable skills and flexible career pathways? Do you want to study and work towards a professional qualification at the same time? Are you eager to start your career in healthcare and want to qualify as soon as possible?

Read on to find out why the Nursing Associate Foundation Degree could be the course for you.

What is a Nursing Associate?

Bridging the gap between the role of healthcare support worker and registered nurse, nursing associates help to ensure that people receive the care they need, when they need it.

Regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), nursing associates support the delivery of nursing care in diverse clinical settings, including hospitals, hospices, and community health and care environments.

They work as part of a wider nursing team under the lead of a registered nurse to provide person-centred care, administering a variety of treatments, monitoring and preventing ill health, and supporting individuals and families.

What career options are available as a nursing associate?

Nursing associates hold a generic registration rather than specialising in a chosen area. This means you could work across a variety of nursing areas such as adult, paediatric, learning disabilities or mental health, giving a wide scope for career routes and professional development.

Working hours will vary depending on the service you choose to work in. Some services require you to work ‘office hours,’ whereas others will involve working shift patterns, including night duty and weekends. This means you can pursue the services that suit your lifestyle, circumstances and interests.

Coventry University graduates have gone on to work in acute hospital settings, mental health facilities, community teams, GP practices, paediatric wards, practice development teams, and as first responders and lecturers.

As a fully qualified nursing associate, you could opt to continue your studies; this course offers a pathway to other nursing roles (including as a registered nurse in adult, children and young people, mental health or learning disabilities) depending on your chosen fields and the relevant NMC eligibility requirements.

Hollie Sayers and Nadia Sarwar were the first nursing associates to top-up their qualifications with Coventry University, going on to qualify as registered nurses.

Read more about their journey from nursing associate to registered nurse here.

How much could I earn?

Salaries will vary depending on whether the nursing associate is employed through the NHS or within the private sector. Full-time, qualified nursing associates are usually employed on band 4 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay rates which ranges between £26,530 and £29,114.

How do I become a nursing associate?

To register as a nursing associate, you must successfully complete an NMC-accredited Nursing Associate Foundation Degree.

Unlike most other foundation degrees, successful completion of the Nursing Associate Foundation Degree provides you with a professionally recognised qualification which forms part of the NMC registration process.

Specific details about the registration process, fee and eligibility can be found on the NMC website.

Nursing Associate Foundation Degree

Fully accredited by the NMC, our Nursing Associate Foundation Degree is a two-year, full-time course. Modules cover a range of themes from the safe and effective medicines administration to the legal and ethical aspects of care. There is a blend of online and face-to-face learning which provides an element of flexibility within theory modules.

You will also be required to undertake mandatory practice placements to help you develop the essential skills and practicable abilities to provide safe, effective nursing care. Placements are supported by practice partners within local regions to each campus , allowing you to develop real world experience and apply your learning. Please refer to placement information on our course page.

This course is available at our Coventry, London and Scarborough campuses, as well as at the Wiltshire College and University Centre in Salisbury.

Entry Reguirements

Entry requirements are subject to change, so please visit our course page for up-to-date information.

Experience in healthcare is preferable, however, it is not essential. Transferable skills learnt during informal caring responsibilities, voluntary work, personal experiences or other roles will also be considered valuable.

Shortlisted applicants will be asked to attend a selection event where we further assess numeracy and aptitude in line with the NHS Constitution values.

Visit our Nursing Associate Foundation Degree course page for full information about the course, placements , entry requirements and fees.