Work alongside your studies and become a registered nurse with our degree apprenticeship in Nursing.
Our innovative course will engage you in theoretical and practical learning. Upon successful completion you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The apprenticeship will help you develop the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes to be able to provide the best possible person-centred, compassionate nursing care to people in the many settings that nurses work. It will also furnish you with the skills that you need to become a lifelong learner acquiring new knowledge and skills throughout your career.
Collaborative learning with our other health programmes and local service users will enable you to gain deeper awareness of the health needs of people, including those with learning disabilities, dementia, and mental health conditions. Our simulation suites will support your practical learning in a safe environment. You will participate in clinical supervision throughout your course of study to foster your resilience and facilitate your reflections on theory and practice.
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).
If you are a registered nursing associate, then you are able to use this qualification to exempt yourself from part of the course via our recognition of prior learning process. For most this should allow you to join the course at the start of Year 3. If you are a registered nursing associate and would like more information, please email the Apprenticeship Unit: apprenticeships@canterbury.ac.uk.
What will I study?
This apprenticeship has been developed with service providers and service users 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 4-year course that runs over 45 weeks per year. 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 (2300 hours) and practice learning (2300 hours).
Your theoretical learning will include:
- nursing theory
- applied anatomy and physiology
- pathophysiology
- pharmacology
- psychology
- sociology
- leadership
- coaching.
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 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 the course 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 4 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.
Modules
Practice Learning 1 (40 Credits)
Equips you with the theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and attitudes and behaviours required to perform fundamental clinical cores skills as a registered nurse in a range of settings.
Clinical Supervision 1 (20 Credits)
This module aims to equip you with the necessary skills to be a lifelong learner and to develop in to a reflective practitioner through the participation of group supervision.
Professionalism, Relationships, and Fundamental Skills (20 Credits)
This module will enable you to recognise your role as a partner in care and how this can be adapted to the care context through the exploration of core communication skills, professional code of practice, and interprofessional person centred care. You will also apply knowledge and understanding of healthy human anatomy and physiology that is delivered within the Practice Learning 1 module.
Compassionate Conversations (20 Credits)
You will develop an understanding of common mental health conditions and detection of these when co-existing with physical health conditions. You’ll also develop the ability to facilitate caring conversations with those experiencing emotional distress.
Wellbeing Across the Lifespan (20 Credits)
This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of the factors that influence health and wellbeing across the lifespan including end of life.
How you'll learn
As required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2018) the Registered Nurse (Degree) - BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing programme comprises of 4600 hours; 2300 hours of these are theory and 2300 in supernumerary practice placements. You will be taught through a combination of face to face and online lectures, seminars, and practical workshops. You will typically have around six contact hours per week.
Modules will use a Problem Based Learning approach and incorporate the ‘flipped classroom’. Problem based learning involves setting a series of questions or triggers to guide you towards the information that you need as opposed to the traditional methods of receiving information from your lecturer. You will be set tasks either individually or in small groups and have the chance to discuss your findings and receive feedback and further guidance from your module lecturer. This approach encourages independence and will develop your skills of enquiry. A flipped classroom approach involves you being provided with learning resources to use at any time outside of the classroom. This material will include such resources as narrated PowerPoints, podcasts, online books, articles, short tests, and quizzes, and will support your learning of tasks set. You will attend traditional lectures to gain core knowledge of some subjects. You will also have opportunity to work in facilitated seminar groups, which will be used to share learning and experiences.
Each trimester you will have a supernumerary practice learning placement where you will develop skills to meet the practice learning competencies contained in the PAN London Assessment Document. Over the course of the programme the NMC requires you to complete 2300 hours of supernumerary practice learning. During your supernumerary practice learning placements you will be expected to work the shift pattern used by the practice area which may comprise of early or late shifts, some night duty and possibly long days. You will be allocated a Practice Supervisor and a Practice Assessor, who are registered professionals who will organise your learning experience and assess your practice against the NMC proficiencies. You will also have opportunities to work with the many other professionals involved the care of people and gain an understanding of their vital roles.
When not attending lectures, seminars, workshops, or other timetabled sessions you will continue learning through self-study. Typically this will involve reading journal articles and books, completing online learning activities/workbooks, undertaking research in the library, working on projects, preparing for workshops and seminars by completing work set by the module team, and writing assignments. You will have timetabled days where you will be able to complete this work. This will form the part of the 2300 theory hours stipulated by the NMC (2018). Your module tutor will direct you towards specific readings and/or activities to complete before and after your class. To support your studies you will have access to a wide range of resources via our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), as well as the University’s award winning library.
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. Where appropriate sessions may be delivered by practitioners form clinical practice or delivered in partnership with service user co-teachers.
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.
Assessment
Throughout your course you will be assessed in both theory and practice using a variety of assessment methods. For each stage of the course you will be required to complete an assessment of practice using a document called the Pan London Assessment Tool. This is a document used by many universities that requires you to achieve the practice competencies identified by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. You will be assessed in practice by qualified nurses who have undergone specific training for this role. For each stage of the course the Practice Learning module is worth 40 credits.
In each stage the remaining 80 credits are divided into five 20 credit modules. Each module has its own assessment(s) designed to test understanding of the module content and achievement of the module learning outcomes. Different assessment strategies are used including, but not limited to, written pieces, essays, presentations, and examinations. Within your assignments you are expected to use the latest research and evidence to support your analysis and acknowledge the use of such literature by means of the Harvard Referencing standard. The University is committed to fair assessment procedures for all students.
Each module provides you with opportunities to test your understanding of the subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally contains at least one piece of practice or formative assessment for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Formative assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark.
There is a formal or summative assessment at the end of each module. The grades from summative assessments count towards your module mark.
Professional accreditation
This Adult Nursing degree is subject to a conjoint approval between the University and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Upon approval, it is further subject to monitoring processes by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
To be eligible to apply for registration as an adult nurse, you must demonstrate good health and good character throughout your studies and on completion. Applications for professional registration will be subject to satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and Occupational Health clearance.
More information
Full information on the apprenticeship standard can be found here.
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