Apprenticeship: Trainee Nursing Associate (TNA) - Level 5

The role of the Nursing Associate (NA) was introduced in 2017 to bridge the gap between healthcare support worker and registered nurse and help meet the changing health and care needs of patients and the public. Nursing Associate is a stand-alone role as well as also providing a route to Registered Nurse.

What value will Nursing Associates bring to General Practice?

  • They will increase the capacity of general practice nursing teams
  • Nursing Associates will be regulated and registered by the NMC.
  • Nursing Associate training offers a career development opportunity
  • With continued professional development, Nursing Associates will provide additional capacity within the nursing team
  • Nursing Associates bring a breadth of knowledge and skill to general practice.
  • A provider that invests in training is an attractive employer
  • Trainee Nursing Associates bring valuable insight across whole systems

If you are a practice manager or PCN looking to grow and develop a team member or employ an additional member of staff or you are a HCA in primary care interested in furthering your career, then please access the links and webpages for more information.

HEE Nursing associate: A new support role in patient care

 

What to expect

Training Requirements

2-Year foundation degree delivered by a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved provider. The apprenticeships overall programme is 2300 hours over 2 years. This can be broken down as followed;

  • Academic – 1150hrs (575hrs per year)
  • External placements – 460hrs (230 per year)
  • Protected Learning time – 690hrs (345 per year)
    • employer allocates protected time for learning and development.

On successful completion or the foundations degree NAs are registered with the NMC.

Entry requirements

  • This is a development opportunity for existing health care support workers who must be employed for 30 hours or more in a health care setting.
  • Satisfactory Enhanced DBS Check
  • Grade 4 GCSE (C) or above in English and Maths. Additional training can be provided if you do not meet this criteria (functional skills)
  • Ability to work at academic Level 5

Funding

Funding for Trainee Nursing Associates and Qualified Nursing Associates

ARRS Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme – Both the Trainee and Qualified Nursing Associate roles are reimbursable under the ARRS scheme

Health Education funding – Funding is available to support TNAs from HEE – £8000 over 2 years (£4,000 per year). For trainees that are working at least 50% of their practice time within a Learning Disability field, Autism or both will receive total funding of £15,800 over two years (£7,900 per year)

Apprenticeship funding for tuition fees – Government funding is available to cover tuition and end point assessment fees associated with apprenticeship programmes. Most Primary Care organisations are non levy paying (i.e. have a wages bill of under £3 million each year). There are 2 ways to access funding

  1. Co- investment funding – the government will cover 95% of the tuition fees and the practice/PCN would need to cover the remaining 5%
  2. Levy Share – Larger levy paying organisations can share their Levy with others and this would cover the total cost of tuition fees

Please find the application form here Please complete and return to nicola.pryke@nhs.net

Applications

Please see here for a list of Education Providers in Cornwall

Truro & Penwith College

University of Plymouth

Plymouth Marjon University

For more information you can listen to our Cornwall training hub podcast Primary care spotlight episode on Nursing associates or watch our nursing associate webinar recording on our training hub you tube channel.

For further discussion or support please contact Emma Borders, Nursing Associate Lead for Primary Care – emma.borders@nhs.net