Nurse 700x430

CUH Nursing Apprenticeship Pathway

Get into nursing: earn as you learn with no tuition fees.

Train with Cambridge University Hospitals

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.

Get the best of both worlds

As a CUH Nursing Apprentice you will receive:

  • an annual salary
  • university fees to the value of £27,000 paid by CUH
  • a range of employee benefits
  • a permanent job and progression to Registered Nurse status.

As a student at ARU you will get:

  • pastoral and student support
  • access to all elements of university life
  • student discounts.

The steps you will take

Step 1

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 2

You 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 3

Successful 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 4

You 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.

Nursing Apprenticeship Celebration Event 2020

Watch our CUH 2020 nursing apprentices as they realise their ambitions and proudly complete their apprenticeships.

Watch now

CUH and ARU – a supportive learning environment

We 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.

Is our Nursing Apprenticeship Pathway for you?

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.

Want to find out more?

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.