Nursing Associate
The Nursing Associate is a support role in England that bridges the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses to deliver hands-on, person-centred care as part of the nursing team.
Nursing associates work across all four fields of nursing: adult, children’s, mental health, and learning disability. Your skills and responsibilities will vary, depending on the care setting you work in.
Your duties are likely to include:
- Undertaking clinical tasks
- Supporting individuals and their families and carers when faced with unwelcome news and life-changing diagnoses
- Performing and recording clinical observations such as blood pressure, temperature, respirations and pulse
- Discussing and sharing information with registered nurses on a patients’ condition, behaviour, activity and responses
- Ensuring the privacy, dignity and safety of individuals is maintained at all times
- Recognising issues relating to safeguarding vulnerable children and adults
Entry requirements:
- GCSEs grade 9 to 4 (A to C) in maths and English, or Functional Skills Level 2 in maths and English.
- Some employers will also ask for a level 3 qualification.
- You’ll also need to show that you can study for a foundation degree level and complete the Nursing Associate Apprenticeship programme.
Find out more about becoming a Nursing Associate.
Read a real life story of a Nursing Associate.
Nursing Associates: Their role in GP Practice.
