Practice allocation

Apprenticeship routes

Learners on the Foundation Degree in Science in Health and Social Care: Nursing Associate programme who are also paid employees remain in their current clinical base whilst on the programme. However, in line with the NMC (2018) Standards for Pre-Registration Nursing Associate Programmes and as a learner, you are required to undertake work-based learning opportunities that allow you to develop and meet the Standards of proficiency for Nursing Associates (NMC, 2018). These learning experiences support nursing associates to deliver safe and effective care, to a diverse range of people, across the lifespan and across a variety of settings. These experiences will support Nursing Associates to meet the holistic needs of people of all ages.

You are also required to complete a minimum of 6 hours a week of off the job training. This ‘off the job’ training includes any theoretical teaching or simulation, any learning support and time spent writing assignments, any shadowing or learning within the workplace in which you are acquiring new knowledge, skills and behaviours that are directly relevant to your Nursing Associate Apprenticeship.

For further information see the Practice Learning section.

In order to achieve this, the Department of Health Sciences is responsible for the allocation of your practice experiences in collaboration with partners. Their role is to identify and allocate learners to the appropriate practice experiences at each stage of the programme to ensure learners have the right opportunities to meet the Standards of proficiency for Nursing Associates (NMC, 2018). The individual learner allocation will be discussed and shared with the Clinical Undergraduate & WBL Development Lead (CUWBLDL); the practice education teams at York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust; Advanced Training Practices (ATPs) and Private and Voluntary Organisations (PIVO) involved in the partnership;  Programme Lead; Deputy Programme Lead; and e-portfolio team.

Individual learning plan & tripartite reviews

Learners on the employer-led route into the programme will be required to meet the requirements of the Apprenticeship Standards for Nursing Associates (2018). As part of the requirements for the apprenticeship you will have an individual learning plan which is a live document detailing how the apprenticeship framework will be achieved and will be updated throughout your programme. Alongside the individual learning plans, you will be expected to attended tripartite reviews between yourself, your employer and key university staff. These reviews have to take place every 12 weeks. If you do not attend, you are at risk of losing funding and therefore putting your place on the course at risk. 

Direct entry routes

For students who access the programme directly through the University, the Department of Health Sciences allocation team will have the responsibility for allocating a student to suitable practice areas for work-based learning across the lifespan and across a range of settings. A suitable breadth of placement experience will be identified shared with the appropriate practice education team in order to ensure that the students have the right opportunities to meet the NMC Standards of proficiency for Nursing Associates (2018).