CUH Nursing Apprenticeship Pathway
Get into nursing: earn as you learn with no tuition fees.
Get into nursing: earn as you learn with no tuition fees.
The award-winning Nursing Apprenticeship Pathway lets you study with ARU while employed at Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH), Addenbrooke’s Hospital, as a Healthcare Support Worker.
As an apprentice you will work at CUH while studying to become a Registered Nurse, supported by your tutors and your employers to obtain a Nursing degree and, ultimately, professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
This innovative learning opportunity in the largest teaching hospital in the Eastern region has been made possible due to long-standing partnership arrangements between CUH and ARU.
Our experience and expertise, both in theory and in practice, means we are able to offer a range of education options that are specific to the development of highly skilled, qualified healthcare specialists.
As a CUH Nursing Apprentice you will receive:
As a student at ARU you will get:
You will join CUH as a Healthcare Support Worker and spend six months with your department, developing and consolidating your HCSW skills, adapting to shift rotations, and preparing for your apprenticeship.
Step 2You will enrol onto the Assistant Practitioner (Nursing) Higher Apprenticeship for 19 months. This will equip you with more advanced skills and knowledge to deliver care alongside qualified professionals in an adult or child nursing team.
You'll work 30 hours per week as an HCSW and 7.5 hours per week on study leave: a combination of one day at university during term time and one day in practice (supernumerary) when not at university.
Step 3Successful progression will enable you to step into the final 24 months of the Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship. Here you’ll have the exciting opportunity to explore a range of clinical placements including health visiting, community nursing, mental health and maternity.
For the duration of this course you will spend 15 hours per week in your employed area and 22.5 hours per week either in theory time/academic study (44 weeks) or 22.5 hours practice time (21 weeks).* The remaining nine weeks will be spent in full time practice.
Step 4You will then complete the Apprenticeship End Point Assessment to register as an Adult or Child Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
* Not including university leave dates, and full time practice weeks.
Watch our CUH 2020 nursing apprentices as they realise their ambitions and proudly complete their apprenticeships.
Watch nowWe recognise that working as well as studying can be challenging, especially if you have a busy life at home.
Staff at CUH and ARU are here to support you, and enable you to be successful through access to a range of mentors: peers who have been through this course and have an understanding of your role and the study requirements. These are people you can lean on and look to for help as you move through the Nursing Apprenticeship pathway. They're committed to helping you to build your confidence and self-belief as you progress towards reaching your full potential.
We are looking for people from all kinds of backgrounds and age ranges who have a desire to make a difference to patients and carers, and who can be committed to the CUH values: Together, safe, kind and excellent. Your role as Healthcare Support Worker provides a pivotal and hands-on role delivering patient care in the Trust.
It isn’t a 9 to 5 job; you will work on a rota, on shift patterns that will include days, nights and weekends. This ensures you learn how to provide care as our patients’ needs change across a normal day. Your study time will be on fixed days.
“Apprenticeships allow us to develop our own workforce, engage in their experience and employ and retain the best people around the country. 90% of our apprentices have stayed with us, which is a real testament to the training they receive from CUH and the learning they receive from ARU.”
DANLead Nurse, CUH
“I think there's a misconception that apprenticeships are just for school leavers. I'm 51 and it works for me and my life. I bring all of my past life and career experience and in addition it also works around my family life.”
RACHELRegistered Nurse Degree Apprentice
“I was diagnosed with dyslexia and was not confident to go to university. However, since starting the apprenticeship, ARU and CUH have been so supportive and have really helped with my confidence. The opportunity to do an apprenticeship really came at the right time and I couldn't be prouder of myself for just stepping my foot in the door and going for it.”
FLEURRegistered Nurse Degree Apprentice
If you’d like to know more about this exciting opportunity, visit the CUH careers website or contact CUH directly.
Cambridge University Hospitals is recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Quality Care Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here.