Online programmes offer both variety and flexibility and ensure that the learning and assessment activities are relevant and of value to student's future professional practice whilst remaining compliant with the NMC Standards of Proficiency for Nursing Associated (2018) and Apprenticeship Standard for Nursing Associate (Institute for Apprenticeships, 2018).

Online programmes follow a trimester study pattern, with each trimester 17 weeks in length.

Each trimester is structured as follows:

Study can be taken flexibly during teaching weeks, however attendance at live sessions is compulsory.

You will be assessed by a Practice Assessor, a Practice Supervisor and an Academic Assessor throughout the programme. The level of supervision may be high at first, but is expected to decrease throughout the programme as students gain knowledge, skills and independence. Supervision will remain an ongoing requirement until qualification and registration.

Year 1 (Level 4)

  • Professionalism
  • Introduction to legal, ethical, and professional frameworks
  • Reflection
  • Academic writing and referencing
  • Introduction to evidence-based practice

This will be assessed by reflection.

  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Health and wellbeing over the lifespan
  • Psychological and sociological aspects of health and wellbeing

You will be assessed by completing an essay.

  • Promoting health across the life span
  • Social, political and economic factors and drivers for health and ill health
  • Communication

You will be assessed by delivering a presentation.

  • Developing knowledge, skills and behaviour in practice
  • Linking on and off the job learning
  • Achievement of England NA PAD through 'guided participation in care'

You will be assessed through a practice assessment document.

Year 2 (Level 5)

  • Developing wider knowledge and understanding of caring for patients with co-morbidities and complex needs
  • Safe administration and management of medication

You will be assessed by delivering a presentation.

  • Developing knowledge of evidence-based practice
  • Care quality, monitoring and patient safety
  • Locating, appraising and applying evidence, service improvement and organisational change processes

You will be assessed by completing an essay.

  • Leadership and team working
  • Interprofessional practice
  • Manage workloads
  • Support, supervise and act as a role model to others in the care they provide
  • Consolidation of knowledge, skills and behaviours

You will be assessed by reflection.

  • Consolidating knowledge, skills and behaviour in practice
  • Linking on and off the job learning
  • Achievement of England NA PAD through 'practicing independently with minimal supervision'

You will be assessed through a practice assessment document numeracy exam.

Practice learning

Practice learning equates to 50% of the overall programme in line with the NMC standards framework (NMC, 2023).

Students must complete at least 1150 hours of practice learning to support the application of theory to practice, and this consists of protected learning time in the normal place of work and placement externally to the normal place of work.

Placements must be for a minimum of 460 hours over the two years (20% of the programme hours) and may take place within the organisation or outside of the organisation. Placements should be chosen to enable them to develop the breadth of experience required for a generic role and allow students to become aware of the breadth of factors associated with providing care to different types of service user.

Placements are principally employer-organised, although accountability remains with the University. The University will work with host organisations to ensure students get the placement experiences they need. All placement environments are required to be audited for placements lasting two weeks or longer.

Where suitable opportunities exist within your region, you may collaborate with local employers and your training provider to arrange reciprocal placements. This may include transferring between SNA base areas to support the completion of external placement hours, ensuring that when your learner is on placement, an equivalent learner is hosted in their place.