Develop your skills to play a fuller role in your nursing team with our Assistant Practitioner (Nursing) Higher Apprenticeship. Study for an assistant practitioner (nursing) foundation degree while you work, with no tuition fees.
Please note that the Assistant Practitioner (Nursing) curriculum is currently under review and subject to change.
Ideal if you’re a current Band 2/3 healthcare assistant/support worker looking to develop your career in Adult, Child or Mental Health Nursing. On successful completion of the course, you can opt to join the Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship and study for a full honours degree to ultimately become a registered nurse.
We’re proud to have been shortlisted for the Nurse Education Provider of the Year award in 2023.
An apprenticeship is a job with training, combining practical experience with academic learning.
At least 20% of your contracted working hours will be classed as 'off-the-job'. This time will be dedicated to developing the knowledge and skills needed to meet the requirements of the apprenticeship, and therefore are not part of your usual work duties.
The off-the-job learning will be set out in a block plan that details when you will attend full days of university teaching, the dates you will be assessed or need to submit an assignment, and the weeks you will be putting your new learning into practice in your usual work setting.
The off-the-job learning for our Assistant Practitioner (Nursing) Higher Apprenticeship is delivered from our Cambridge or Chelmsford campuses.
You will be assessed at the end of each module you undertake (on-programme assessments) which will contribute towards the final award of your qualification.
You will also undertake an End Point Assessment (EPA) to complete your apprenticeship.
The EPA for this apprenticeship is independently assessed and takes place when all on-programme assessments have been successfully passed. You must pass the EPA before you can commence another apprenticeship.
Our Cambridge, Chelmsford and Peterborough campuses all offer purpose-built nursing skills labs. The labs simulate many aspects of a working hospital ward and allow you to use sophisticated healthcare equipment.
Our partnership with the College of West Anglia also offers The School of Nursing Studies (SoNS) - a brand new, state-of-the-art facility in Kings Lynn.
You'll benefit from working in small groups to practise skills such as bed making, hand-washing, bandaging, communicating with patients, and applying and interpreting basic monitoring.
“The nursing apprenticeship is all packaged perfectly, with support salary and a foundation to making all your career dreams come true.”
LaurenBSc (Hons) Nursing Child top-up graduate
Read Lauren's story“The nursing apprenticeship has given me the flexibility and confidence to work towards my nursing goals.”
SophieRegistered Nurse Degree Apprentice
On successful completion of this course and the endpoint assessment, you'll be ready to work as an assistant practitioner to a nursing team. You can also opt to join our Nursing degree apprenticeship, and train to become a registered nurse specialising in either Adult Nursing, Child Nursing or Mental Health Nursing.
In addition to the person specifications that have been set out by your employer, these are the entry requirements for the course.
To be eligible to apply for one of our apprenticeships, you’ll first need to be in a full-time position with one of our partner employers. Here you can find out about current vacancies.
Browse current vacanciesTo apply for an apprenticeship, you need to have the support of your employer. If you already have the support of your employer or have any questions before talking to them, please do not hesitate to contact one of our apprenticeship experts who will be happy to help.