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Edge Hill celebrates five years of training nursing associates 

Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine

March 25, 2022

Edge Hill University has reached a major milestone in its partnership with Health Education England (HEE) to boost NHS nursing teams across the North West. 

Edge Hill University has reached a major milestone in its partnership with Health Education England (HEE) to boost NHS nursing teams across the North West. 

The University will mark five years since it partnered with HEE to launch its FdSc Nursing Associate award during a celebratory event next month. 

Kathryn Drury

Kathryn Drury, Associate Dean at Edge Hill University, said: “Nursing associates play an incredibly important role in modern nursing teams. They’re equipped with the skills, knowledge and understanding to work across all four fields of nursing, with the potential to qualify as a registered nurse. 

“Five years on since we embarked on this partnership with Health Education England, it’s been a fantastic journey to collaborate and train the next generation of health workers together. We’re looking forward to building on this success and continuing to strengthen NHS teams across the North West.” 

Since 2017 Edge Hill has trained more than 207 nursing associates, which is a new position within nursing teams in England. The University welcomes two cohorts each year, with programmes starting in March and September. 

The milestone will be celebrated during a free event on Tuesday 1 March from 11am to 1pm on Microsoft Teams. Guests can register to receive the link for the event

Celebrating Five Years: A North West Perspective will include guest talks from Lord Willis of Knaresborough, Independent Chair of the Shape of Caring Review; Professor Mark Radford, Chief Nurse HEE; Professor Ian Kessler, Kings College London. 

Andrea Boland, Regional Head of Nursing at Health Education England, said: “I am delighted to be chairing this north west event as we reflect on our journey of introducing this new role into the workforce across health and social care with all our stakeholders both from a higher education institute and provider perspective.” 

Edge Hill was part of HEE’s original pilot programme which explored how to bring new workers into the NHS with the right expertise to support its ever-expanding care services. 

The pilot included the development of the two-year FdSc Nursing Associate award, the success of which led to the creation of an apprenticeship route and registration to the Nursing and Midwifery Council. 

Edge Hill’s FdCs Nursing Associate award will help students to develop the skills, understanding and evidence-based practice needed to deliver care in a safe and compassionate way. 

With both direct and apprenticeship routes, students will eligibility to register as a qualified nursing associate with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, benefitting from a wide range of practice experiences and the opportunity to provide care for a diverse client group. 

March 25, 2022

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