Registered Nurse (Degree) Apprenticeship

Work alongside your studies and become a registered nurse with our degree apprenticeship in Nursing.

The Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship enables you to gain the vital skills needed for you to become a confident and competent nursing professional, and upon graduation, register with the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council).

The apprenticeship will help you develop the necessary skills, knowledge and behaviours central to contemporary healthcare and nursing care - across nursing settings. It will also furnish you with the ability to become a lifelong learner, acquiring new knowledge and skills throughout your career.

From day one, you'll be immersed in nursing practice and supported by academics and professionals with vast experience. You'll learn in state-of-the-art simulation facilities, using the latest virtual reality technology to practise your nursing skills in a safe and supportive environment. You will participate in clinical supervision throughout the programme of study to foster your resilience and facilitate your reflections on theory and practice.

You will be learning collaboratively with apprentices from other nursing pathways, those employed in different clinical settings, with students on other health courses, and local service users to enable you to gain deeper awareness of the health needs of people in different contexts. Our Adult Nursing Degree Apprenticeship will prepare you for a challenging, yet most rewarding, career. What’s more, you'll gain essential work experience across a range of services whilst studying this course, enhancing your skills and future career prospects upon graduation.

What the apprenticeship covers

Registered nurses work in the public, independent and voluntary sector. Registered nurses are a statutorily regulated profession and the standards for proficiency are set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and successful completion of this apprenticeship will meet the education requirements to see registration with the NMC. This standard covers the NMC Standards for Proficiency and Annexes A & B for registered nurses (May 2018).

What will I study?

This apprenticeship has been developed with service providers, service users, and current apprentices to deliver contemporary, evidence-based nursing education. We ensure that our graduates are fit for practice in evolving and dynamic health care services, within the public, charitable and private sectors.

The Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship is a four-year programme. As an adult nurse you will require a wide range of theoretical and clinical knowledge to practice safely and effectively. There is an equal division between theory focused learning (2,300 hours) and practice learning (2,300 hours).

Your theoretical learning will include areas including:

nursing theory and evidence underpinning
applied anatomy and physiology
pathophysiology and pharmacology
psychology and sociology
leadership.

We use problem-based and enquiry-based learning. This method helps you understand topics more deeply. It also enables you to use theory to support person-centred care delivery and decision-making. You will also learn with and from other health and social care students and apprentices through interprofessional education events. Simulated practice sessions are related to the theory you are learning. These will support you to make important links between this theory and caring for people in practice.

The course has been designed so that you will have at least one study day per week throughout it’s duration to undertake the theoretical element of it. These days will either be used to undertake activities such as attend formal sessions at University, or attend online classes via a virtual classroom, complete directed learning activities, join learning support sessions and complete assignments.

Throughout your four years of study you will participate in a wide range of practice learning. You will learn within the hospital setting sampling a variety of specialities. You will learn within a variety of community settings to experience the services available to patients requiring care outside of hospitals.

Entry requirements

The academic entry requirements are in line with standard University entry requirements based upon UCAS points or the equivalent (currently BBC at A Level/ 112 UCAS points) and also must have level 2 Maths and English (or equivalent) at GCSE grade 4 or above. In addition, apprentices must be employed in the UK health and care sector providing care for a minimum of 30 hours per week.

Modules

Introduction to academic and work-based learning for Nursing Apprentices (15 credits)
Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice for Apprentices (15 credits)
Nursing for Health and Wellbeing for Apprentices (30 credits )
Nursing Practice One for Apprentices Part A (30 credits l)
Nursing Practice One for Apprentices Part B (30 credits)

How you'll learn

This apprenticeship has been developed with service providers, service users and current apprentices to deliver contemporary, evidence-based nursing education. We ensure that our graduates are fit for practice in evolving and dynamic health care services, within the public, charitable and private sectors.

When not on practice placements you will have at least two timetabled study days a week. We use a variety of learning and teaching techniques to support you including, simulated practice learning, lectures, seminars, group work, problem-based learning and discussion.

Whilst in practice placements you will be working 30 hours per week on the practice placement and attend university for one day a week. Placement ours will enable you to experience the full range of shifts, including earlies, lates, nights and weekends. You will be supported by three key people whilst you are in practice; your practice supervisor, practice assessor, and your academic assessor.

You will have an allocated a personal academic tutor (PAT) to provide support for the four years of your programme. Throughout the duration of the course, you will have regular review meetings with your PAT to discuss your progress, learning and support needs. Alternate review meetings will also include someone from your workplace and, when on placement, your practice assessor, so they can all understand your progress and ensure they are able to offer appropriate support.

You'll be expected to undertake independent learning to support your academic modules and practice experience. This may be undertaken individually or within small groups, and will include problem solving activities.

Each 30-credit module will include 45 hours of directed learning and 255 hours of self-directed study.

Academic staff will provide guidance for your independent learning through the virtual learning environment.

All 20-credit module have 30 academic contact hours. In addition, you are expected to complete 170 hours of directed learning for each 20 credit module. Over the course of the programme you will be allocated minimum of one study day a week to enable you to complete the required 2300 theory hours dictated by the NMC (2018).

The 40 Credit practice modules have 60 contact hours and then 600 or more hours (depending on level) of planned supernumerary practice learning time. In placement learning blocks you will be expected to work the shift pattern used by your placement area which may comprise of long days, early or late shifts and some night duty. During placement weeks you will continue to have one study day a week.

The team consists of highly qualified academics. They have a range of expertise and experience. All our team member hold or are working towards teaching qualifications. They are research-active. They have experience in delivering research-informed teaching. You will have an allocated a personal academic tutor to provide support for the four years of your programme. Where appropriate sessions may be delivered by practitioners form clinical practice or delivered in partnership with service user co-teachers.

Assessment

We use a variety of assessment methods including course work, exams, presentations and practice assessment.

Practice is assessed each year using the ePAD online system, which is a validated assessment tool currently used by several universities across the country.

Your future career

On successful completion of the course, you'll be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and become a registered nurse within the field of adult nursing.

Our course will open up a wide range of exciting career opportunities for you. Additionally, there are opportunities to progress onto postgraduate study, including Continuing Professional Development courses, MSc or PhD studies.

How to apply

Employers are central to the application processes for apprentices and applications for places are through employers.

If you are an aspiring apprentice or if you are an employer wishing to support a member of your team to develop through an apprenticeship please contact the Apprenticeship Unit on:

apprenticeships@canterbury.ac.uk