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Trainee nursing associate makes an impression at NHS conference

13 July 2018

 

One of the first trainee nursing associates studying at Teesside University has spoken at a national conference celebrating 70 years of the NHS.

L-R: Hilary Garrett (Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for England), Christopher Bradshaw, Margaret Kitching (Chief Nurse NHS England and NHS Improvement), Matthew van Loo (Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader), Ruth Holt (Director of Nursing NHS England).
L-R: Hilary Garrett (Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for England), Christopher Bradshaw, Margaret Kitching (Chief Nurse NHS England and NHS Improvement), Matthew van Loo (Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader), Ruth Holt (Director of Nursing NHS England).

Christopher Bradshaw, who is studying FdSc Higher Degree Apprenticeship (Nursing Associate), spoke in front of an audience of 250 delegates including healthcare professionals from across the sector.

The conference was chaired by some of the most senior nurses in the country including Hilary Garrett, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer (England), Ruth Holt, Director of Nursing for NHS England, and Margaret Kitching, Chief Nurse in the North. Christopher spoke to the delegation about his role and how nursing associates are contributing to patient care.

The nursing associate is a new role introduced in England to address a skills gap between healthcare assistants and registered nurses. It is a standalone role and also provides a progression route into graduate-level nursing. The difference between the role of healthcare assistants and nursing associates is that nursing associates will be regulated by the Nursing & Midwifery Council, meaning people within those roles are accountable. Another key difference is the structured training nursing associates undertake which is university-based Level 5 education following the national curriculum.

Christopher is part of the first cohort of students on the nursing associate higher degree apprenticeship course taught at the Centre for Professional and Executive Development at the University’s Darlington campus. Students on the course typically spend one day per week in classes and spend their remaining time at work or on placement.

Employed by a local NHS Trust, Christopher has worked in healthcare for over 20 years and currently works in adult care within the community. While the nursing associate is still a developing role, once qualified nursing associates will be able to work across all areas of healthcare from acute care to critical care, mental health to general practice.

What really appealed to me about this particular course is that it will enable me to work across different areas of healthcare.

Christopher Bradshaw, trainee nursing associate

Christopher said: 'What really appealed to me about this particular course is that it will enable me to work across different areas of healthcare. Although I work in the community now and would like to continue to do so, this qualification would also enable me to work as a Band 4 in hospitals.

'I wanted to increase my knowledge and learn, but due to family commitments I was never in a position to train as a nurse. This course bridges the gap and enables me to continue to work while I expand my knowledge and increase my career prospects.'

The higher degree apprenticeship at Teesside University has been developed in collaboration with NHS employers to meet the education and training needs of healthcare support workers. It recognises the workplace as a centre of knowledge building and supports students by combining opportunities within the workplace and in the university environment.

Matthew van Loo, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for the course, said: 'The nursing associate course at Teesside University mixes classroom teaching alongside work placements, ensuring that our students gain the necessary knowledge and practical experience to be able to provide excellent care.

'It was fantastic to hear Christopher speak about his experiences so far on what is a new role within the healthcare sector. Christopher was professional and represented the University very well at a very high profile conference.'


 
 
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