Nurses work as part of a team and provide direct patient care. They work in a variety of settings, including hospital wards, operating theatres, clinics, doctors' surgeries and patients' homes. Nurse apprentices will work in a main place of work, undertake study and also have a variety of clinical placements during their apprenticeship.

There are four fields of nursing, Adult, Mental Health, Children's and Learning Disabilities. At UHD we are offering training as an apprenticeship in adult nursing.

Yes, upon completion of the apprenticeship you will be awarded a BSc (Honours) in adult nursing and will be able to register as a nurse. This will be exactly the same degree as anyone attending university full time. It is the way that this degree is delivered that is different as apprentices will be based in the workplace as well as studying with a university.

Apprentices will be released by their employer to study part-time with a university and will train in a range of practice placement settings. Apprentices will study with a university that is a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved education provider and will be expected to achieve the same standards as any other student nurse.

Registered Nurse Degree Apprentices won't have to pay tuition fees. The cost of the apprenticeship will be paid by employers.

A full recruitment and selection process will take place. You will need to submit and application and undertake an interview.

When completing your application form please refer to the job profile.

All qualifications must be detailed on the application form – the subject, the grade and the year. Without this clear information we will not be able to process your application. Any pending qualifications must also be included – Any A-Level / Level 3 or higher qualifications that are pending need to be achieved by the start of the programme. If you are already on an apprenticeship you must have completed your End point Assessment and have been awarded your qualification, before the enrolment day for the RNDA programme.

A full recruitment and selection process will take place. You will need to submit and application and undertake an interview.

When completing your application form please refer to the job profile.

All qualifications must be detailed on the application form – the subject, the grade and the year. Without this clear information we will not be able to process your application. Any pending qualifications must also be included – Any A-Level / Level 3 or higher qualifications that are pending need to be achieved by the start of the programme. If you are already on an apprenticeship you must have completed your End point Assessment and have been awarded your qualification, before the enrolment day for the RNDA programme.

Yes! As well as working as part of the team delivering care at your home base, you will also experience placement opportunities at various locations where you will develop the skills to become a registered nurse.

In addition to your usual place of work apprentices will have placements over the four years which will be in a variety of settings. Placements will be in blocks over the course of the programme and will be in variety of locations across Dorset potentially during mornings, evenings, weekends and bank holidays so it is essential that you are able to access these places.

The apprenticeship is a full-time role which is 37.5 hours a week in the NHS. During the apprenticeship there will be a requirement to experience essential all-round care to meet patient needs. Part of the apprenticeship work in a healthcare role could include a variety of shift patterns and may include day or night shifts and weekends and bank holidays.

Your main place of work and placements will be across Dorset, therefore you will be expected to be able to travel to these various locations at a variety of times and days of the week.

The apprenticeship will take four years to complete.

There is no upper age limit to start a nurse apprenticeship, but you must be aged 18 or over at the start of the programme.

Qualified nurses can undertake nursing roles in both primary and secondary care in many areas of work and in many clinical areas. Nursing can follow a career path in:

• Research
• Education
• Leadership

With further experience, future careers can include advanced practice nursing, nurse education and mentoring, and healthcare management, such as ward sister or lead nurse.

Yes, it can. The University recognises that many entrants may have already studied some subjects at the level required. A learner may be admitted to the programme with credit provided that they can demonstrate that they have met the intended learning outcomes of the relevant unit(s) at the required level. All successful applicants will be invited to claim for any exemptions prior to starting the course. Your claim will then be assessed and exemptions awarded as appropriate.

In the case of students who have undertaken the Student Nurse Apprenticeship (SNA) the content of the SNA is mapped against the requirements and structure of the RNDA. This is likely to lead to exemption from a whole level / full-time year of study as well as from individual units of study. This will normally result in entry to Level 5 of the RNDA with advanced standing.

Yes, full time staff are entitled to annual leave days and an average of 8 public holidays. Your employer can tell you more about this.

An annual leave will need to be agreed through the line manager and taken within specific times of the apprenticeship programme. (for example, not during placement time). There may be requirement to work on some public holidays with leave taken at an alternative time. Any prior booked leave should be discussed if invited to interview.

There are a number of staff benefits open to NHS employees including: pensions, staff discount at certain outlets, access to some corporate memberships, student discount card for apprentices and many more.

Vaccines for health and care staff (NMC)

The Code and our standards make clear that professionals have a responsibility to maintain their own level of health. And that they should take all reasonable personal precautions to avoid potential health risks to colleagues and people receiving care. All nurses, midwives and nursing associates need to be confident that measures are in place where they work to manage any risk of transmission, and they need to take appropriate steps themselves to reduce risks and prioritise the safety of people in their care.

It is a requirement that all RNDAs meet the occupational health requirements to complete the programme.

All staff should be up to date with their routine immunisations e.g. tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR.

Other vaccinations that will be required or recommended (unless medically exempt) are:

• Hepatitis B
• BCG vaccine for tuberculosis (TB)
• Influenza

Working in healthcare, you are more likely to be exposed to infections such as COVID-19 and flu. You can pass on these viruses to family, colleagues, and patients that we care for, many of whom may be at increased risk.

As with all vaccinations protection from previous jabs reduces over time, ensuring you receive your seasonal jabs will top up your immunity against these viruses. As healthcare staff we should do everything we can do to reduce our own personal risk of becoming ill from COVID-19 and flu.

You can find out more information and view all Dorset vaccination clinic details on https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/covid-19-vaccination-service

We are committed to developing opportunities through the apprenticeship route. Following successful completion of the Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship programme we support you to apply for vacancies within the Trust. There is an expectation that successful applicants will remain at UHD for a further two years following successful completion of the apprenticeship programme.

Why not consider the Student Nurse Associate Programme?

A nursing associate is a member of the nursing team in England that helps bridge the gap between health and care assistants and registered nurses.

Nursing associates work across all four fields of nursing: adult, children's, mental health, and learning disability. Your skills and responsibilities will vary, depending on the care setting you work in. You will need to demonstrate the values and behaviours of the NHS Constitution.

It's a stand-alone role that also provides a progression route into graduate level nursing.

Your duties are likely to include:

• undertaking clinical tasks including venepuncture and ECGs
• supporting individuals and their families and carers when faced with unwelcome news and life-changing diagnoses
• performing and recording clinical observations such as blood pressure, temperature, respirations and pulse
• discussing and sharing information with registered nurses on a patients' condition, behaviour, activity and responses
• ensuring the privacy, dignity and safety of individuals is maintained at all times
• recognising issues relating to safeguarding vulnerable children and adults

Entry requirements

To begin your training as a nursing associate, you'll need GCSEs grade 9 to 4 (A to C) in Maths and English, or Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths and English. Local employers will also ask for a level 3 qualification or equivalent. You’ll also need to show that you can study for a foundation degree level and complete the Nursing Associate Apprenticeship programme.

Your training

You'll undertake academic learning one day a week and work-based learning the rest of the week. You'll be employed in a healthcare setting such as an acute, community or mental health hospital, care home or hospice but also gain experience in other settings. This will mean travelling to placements and working a mix of shifts.

It is very important to plan and manage the competing demands of your job role, study and placements. You'll develop an understanding of all elements of nursing and caring for individuals with conditions such as dementia, mental ill health and learning disabilities/difficulties.

Career development

Once you've finished your training, you'll have the knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and behaviours to work as a nursing associate. Qualified nursing associates can also go on to train as a registered nurse in time after consolidation.

If you are already employed within a health or care setting to find out more about the apprenticeship route, including how to apply, speak with your line manager, education team or apprenticeship lead.

Registration

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is responsible for registering and regulating nursing associates.

Why not gain some hands-on experience as a Health Care Support Worker? This is a vital role within the health and care sector and can give you the valuable background experience and knowledge before you embark on your next step in your career.

Healthcare support workers work across a variety of settings, from mental health to children's services. The choice is yours. As a healthcare support worker, you will work under the supervision of a healthcare professional, supporting them and helping patients on their healthcare journey.

The opportunities to progress are endless; you can choose to specialise in a particular setting, or train to qualify as a healthcare professional, such as a nurse or midwife. In some trusts, healthcare support workers have slightly different job titles such as healthcare assistant (or HCA), nursing assistant or midwifery assistant, depending on your chosen setting and the healthcare professionals you support.

Working life

It's a hands-on role – one minute you could be taking blood and the next lending an ear to an anxious patient – but it's one of the most rewarding. Your day-to-day will vary depending on which part of the NHS you're working in. For example, if you’re based in a hospital your duties may include:

• helping patients to move around
• monitoring patients and performing basic health checks
• making patients feel comfortable
• supporting patients to wash and dress
• serving meals and helping to feed patients

If you're based in a health centre or GP surgery, you may:

• perform health checks
• take blood samples
• process lab samples
• sterilise equipment
• restock consulting rooms
• undertake health promotion and education work

No matter which area you choose to work in, being a healthcare support worker is a key role that's at the very heart of healthcare.

Entry requirements and skills needed

There are no set entry requirements to become a healthcare support worker, but good literacy and numeracy skills are expected, and in some cases GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths are required too. There may be opportunities to undertake a healthcare qualification.

For some roles, some experience of healthcare or care work may be beneficial – this could be from paid or voluntary work, or through experience you bring in from previous roles.

Academic qualifications aren't everything. You'll also need to be caring, kind and willing to really get stuck into the role – it's a hands-on environment where teamwork, communication and organisational skills are vital.

If you are already employed within a health or care setting to find out more about healthcare support worker roles, including how to apply, speak with your line manager, education team or apprenticeship lead. If you are not currently employed within a health or care setting, any healthcare support worker opportunities will be shared on our recruitment pages.