Isle of Wight NHS Trust Nursing Apprenticeship programme
Following the introduction of the Governments Apprenticeship Reforms (England) in April 2017, the Trust embraced the variety of opportunities this new funding enabled individuals on the route to a great career.
The Isle of Wight NHS Trust decided to change and offer a new pathway in order to grow its local nursing workforce. The numbers of nursing professionals was declining on the island and the opportunity to qualify was somewhat limited, so the Trust partnered up with The Open University (OU) to offer a new flexible educational route via the Apprenticeship Levy.
Offering the nursing apprenticeship qualifications has enabled the Trust to widen access to learning and reach a more diverse cohort. It has also enabled the Trust to achieve several key recruitment aims – providing opportunities and career pathways to people living in the local community, attracting new recruits to the island, and meeting staffing needs at the same time.
We are delighted to be able to offer Nursing apprenticeships during 2023 in partnership with the Open University, in both the Trainees Nursing Associate Apprenticeship (TNA) and the Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship (RNDA) programmes.
Trainee Nursing Associate Apprenticeships (TNA)
Higher Apprenticeship in Nursing Associate Practice (Level5) Duration 2 years
The Trainee Nursing Associate is a highly trained support role to deliver effective, safe, and responsive nursing care in and across a wide range of health and care settings. Trainee Nursing Associates work independently and with others, under the leadership and direction of a Registered Nurse within defined parameters, to deliver care in line with an agreed plan. Trainee Nursing Associates will have a breadth of knowledge and a flexible, portable skill set to serve local health populations, in a range of settings across the lifespan. The Nursing Associate works within all aspects of the nursing process, taking account of the perspectives and pathways of individuals, their families, and/or carers providing holistic and person—centred care. They will support the Registered Nurse in the assessment, planning, delivery, and evaluation of care. You must uphold the NMC code and meet the NMC requirements for continuing registration.
Completion of the apprenticeship will lead to a license to practice regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeships (RNDA)
We are offering specialisms in Adult Nursing BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing (Level 6) and Mental Health Nursing BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing (Level 6). In addition to the above, we are also offering for 2020 the following specialisms (subject to approval) in BSc (Hons) Children and Young People Nursing (Level 6) and BSc (Hons) Learning Disability Nursing (Level 6).
Registered Nurses are a key part of the multidisciplinary team that meets the health and care needs of patients and service users. You will be at the centre of a team that can include other health and social care professionals. You will use your expertise to assess, plan and implement and evaluate care, putting the needs of patients and service users first. You will be responsible and accountable for your work and for reviewing the effectiveness of your actions. You will be expected to demonstrate leadership qualities whatever your role and you may manage and lead colleagues. You will be responsible for ensuring your own knowledge and skills are up to date, and support the development of learners and entrants to the profession. You must uphold the NMC code and meet the NMC requirements for continuing registration.
On completion of the apprenticeship, you will meet the qualification requirements to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
“Within my training, I worked on the Covid ward for the first part of Covid,” says Kerry Black, a new-qualified Nursing Associate at IOW NHS Trust. “Then coronary care unit theatres, mental health and learning disability teams, so it’s a really wide variety of placements that you can secure on the island.”
Rachel Baker, Nursing Associate at the IOW NHS Trust, is delighted to have been given the opportunity to pursue a career in nursing and without having the leave the island. “I grew up on the island and always wanted to work for the NHS, but there weren’t many opportunities for studying on the island with it - you had to move off and go to university. I knew that wasn’t really for me.”
Studying for the apprenticeship has allowed Rachel to fulfill her lifelong ambition while staying in and giving back to her local community. “I think it’s important to do training here as I can stay with the community that I grew up in and give back – staying on the island and learning was an important thing for me,” Rachel says she really benefited from the OU’s approach to learning – the practical nature of the content, the level of support provided by tutors and the ability to balance work and study.
The following link from Health Careers provides further information regarding how to become a Nurse https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/nursing/how-become-nurse
If you have any further questions please contact us at iownt.education-team-apprenticeships@nhs.net
