Apprenticeship

Nursing associate (NMC 2018) (level 5)

There are 7 training providers who offer this course.

Information about Nursing associate (NMC 2018) (level 5)

Providing care for people of all ages and from different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • Understand the Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates (NMC, 2018), and how to fulfill all registration requirements
  • Understand the demands of professional practice and demonstrate how to recognise signs of vulnerability in themselves or their colleagues and the action required to minimise risks to health
  • Understand the professional responsibility to adopt a healthy lifestyle to maintain the level of personal fitness and well-being required to meet people’s needs for mental and physical care
  • Understand the principles of research and how research findings are used to inform evidence-based practice
  • Understand the meaning of resilience and emotional intelligence, and their influence on an individual’s ability to provide care
  • Understand and apply relevant legal, regulatory and governance requirements, policies, and ethical frameworks, including any mandatory reporting duties, to all areas of practice
  • Understand the importance of courage and transparency and apply the Duty of Candour
  • Understand how discriminatory behaviour is exhibited
  • Understand the aims and principles of health promotion, protection and improvement and the prevention of ill health when engaging with people
  • Understand the principles of epidemiology, demography, and genomics and how these may influence health and well-being outcomes
  • Understand the factors that may lead to inequalities in health outcomes
  • Understand the importance of early years and childhood experiences and the possible impact on life choices, mental, physical and behavioural health and well-being
  • Understand the contribution of social influences, health literacy, individual circumstances, behaviours and lifestyle choices to mental, physical and behavioural health outcomes
  • Understand the importance of health screening
  • Understand human development from conception to death, to enable delivery of person-centred safe and effective care
  • Understand body systems and homeostasis, human anatomy and physiology, biology, genomics, pharmacology, social and behavioural sciences as applied to delivery of care
  • Understand commonly encountered mental, physical, behavioural and cognitive health conditions as applied to delivery of care
  • Understand and apply the principles and processes for making reasonable adjustments
  • Know how and when to escalate to the appropriate professional for expert help and advice
  • Know how people’s needs for safety, dignity, privacy, comfort and sleep can be met
  • Understand co-morbidities and the demands of meeting people’s holistic needs when prioritising care
  • Know how to meet people’s needs related to nutrition, hydration and bladder and bowel health
  • Know how to meet people’s needs related to mobility, hygiene, oral care, wound care and skin integrity
  • Know how to support people with commonly encountered symptoms including anxiety, confusion, discomfort and pain
  • Know how to deliver sensitive and compassionate end of life care to support people to plan for their end of life
  • Understand where and how to seek guidance and support from others to ensure that the best interests of those receiving care are upheld
  • Understand the principles of safe and effective administration and optimisation of medicines in accordance with local and national policies
  • Understand the effects of medicines, allergies, drug sensitivity, side effects, contraindications and adverse reactions
  • Understand the different ways by which medicines can be prescribed
  • Understand the principles of health and safety legislation and regulations and maintain safe work and care environments
  • Understand how inadequate staffing levels impact on the ability to provide safe care and escalate concerns appropriately
  • Understand what constitutes a near miss, a serious adverse event, a critical incident and a major incident
  • Understand when to seek appropriate advice to manage a risk and avoid compromising quality of care and health outcomes
  • Know and understand strategies to develop resilience in self and know how to seek support to help deal with uncertain situations
  • Understand own role and the roles of all other staff at different levels of experience and seniority in the event of a major incident
  • Understand the roles of the different providers of health and care
  • Understand the challenges of providing safe nursing care for people with complex co-morbidities and complex care needs
  • Understand the complexities of providing mental, cognitive, behavioural and physical care needs across a wide range of integrated care settings
  • Understand the principles and processes involved in supporting people and families with a range of care needs to maintain optimal independence and avoid unnecessary interventions and disruptions to their lives
  • Understand own role and contribution when involved in the care of a person who is undergoing discharge or a transition of care between professionals, settings or services
  • Know the roles, responsibilities and scope of practice of different members of the nursing and interdisciplinary team, and own role within it
  • Understand and apply the principles of human factors and environmental factors when working in teams
  • Understand the influence of policy and political drivers that impact health and care provision

  Skills

  • Act in accordance with the Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates (NMC, 2018), and fulfil all registration requirements
  • Keep complete, clear, accurate and timely records
  • Recognise and report any factors that may adversely impact safe and effective care provision
  • Take responsibility for continuous self-reflection, seeking and responding to support and feedback to develop professional knowledge and skills
  • Safely demonstrate evidence-based practice in all skills and procedures required for entry to the register: Standards of proficiency fornursing associates Annex A & B (NMC 2018)
  • Act as an ambassador for their profession and promote public confidence in health and care services
  • Communicate effectively using a range of skills and strategies with colleagues and people at all stages of life and with a rangeof mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural health challenges
  • Recognise signs of vulnerability in self or colleagues and the action required to minimise risks to health
  • Develop, manage and maintain appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues
  • Provide, promote, and where appropriate advocate for, non-discriminatory, person-centred and sensitive care at all times, reflecting on people’s values and beliefs, diverse backgrounds, cultural characteristics, language requirements, needs and preferences, taking account of any need for adjustments
  • Report any situations, behaviours or errors that could result in poor care outcomes
  • Challenge or report discriminatory behaviour
  • Apply the aims and principles of health promotion, protection and improvement and the prevention of ill health when engaging with people
  • Promote preventive health behaviours and provide information to support people to make informed choices to improve their mental, physical, behavioural health and wellbeing
  • Identify people who are eligible for health screening
  • Promote health and prevent ill health by understanding the evidence base for immunisation, vaccination and herd immunity
  • Protect health through understanding and applying the principles of infection prevention and control, including communicable disease surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship and resistance
  • Apply knowledge, communication and relationship management skills required to provide people, families and carers with accurate information that meets their needs before, during and after a range of interventions
  • Recognise when capacity has changed recognise and how a person’s capacity affects their ability to make decisions about their own care and to give or withhold consent
  • Recognise people at risk of abuse, self-harm and/or suicidal ideation and the situations that may put them and others at risk
  • Monitor the effectiveness of care in partnership with people, families and carers, documenting progress and reporting outcomes
  • Take personal responsibility to ensure that relevant information is shared according to local policy and appropriate immediate action is taken to provide adequate safeguarding and that concerns are escalated
  • Work in partnership with people, to encourage shared decision making, in order to support individuals, their families and carers to manage their own care when appropriate
  • Perform a range of nursing procedures and manage devices, to meet people’s need for safe, effective and person-centred care
  • Meet people’s needs for safety, dignity, privacy, comfort and sleep
  • Meet people’s needs related to nutrition, hydration and bladder and bowel health
  • Meet people’s needs related to mobility, hygiene, oral care, wound care and skin integrity
  • Support people with commonly encountered symptoms including anxiety, confusion, discomfort and pain
  • Give information and support to people who are dying, their families and the bereaved and provide care to the deceased
  • Recognise when a person’s condition has improved or deteriorated by undertaking health monitoring, interpreting, promptly responding, sharing findings and escalating as needed
  • Act in line with any end of life decisions and orders, organ and tissue donation protocols, infection protocols, advanced planning decisions, living wills and lasting powers of attorney for health
  • Work collaboratively and in partnership with professionals from different agencies in interdisciplinary teams
  • Maintain safe work and care environments
  • Act in line with local and national organisational frameworks, legislation and regulations to report risks, and implement actions as instructed, following up and escalating as required
  • Accurately undertake risk assessments, using contemporary assessment tools
  • Respond to and escalate potential hazards that may affect the safety of people
  • Participate in data collection to support audit activity, and contribute to the implementation of quality improvement strategies
  • Prioritise and manage own workload, and recognise where elements of care can safely be delegated to other colleagues, carers and family members
  • Recognise when people need help to facilitate equitable access to care, support and escalate concerns appropriately
  • Support and motivate other members of the care team and interact confidently with them
  • Monitor and review the quality of care delivered, providing challenge and constructive feedback when an aspect of care has been delegated to others
  • Support, supervise and act as a role model to nursing associate students, health care support workers and those new to care roles, review the quality of the care they provide, promoting reflection and providing constructive feedback
  • Contribute to team reflection activities to promote improvements in practice and services
  • Access, input, and apply information and data using a range of methods including digital technologies, and share appropriately within interdisciplinary teams

  Behaviours

  • Treat people with dignity, respecting individual's diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values, privacy and preferences
  • Show respect and empathy for those you work with, have the courage to challenge areas of concern and work to evidence based best practice
  • Be adaptable, reliable and consistent, show discretion, resilience and self-awareness
• Training category (sector): Health and science
• Training level: 5; Equal to higher national diploma (HND)
• Course duration: 24 months
• Maximum funding: £15,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Nursing associate
  • Nursing associate is a protected title and may only be used by someone on the nursing and midwifery council register

View more information about Nursing associate (NMC 2018) (level 5) from Skills England.