Registered Nurse (Adult)
Preparing future nurses for a career in adult care.
The Registered Nurse (Adult) apprenticeship supports the development of confident, caring Registered Nurses working with adults in a range of settings. Apprentices study for a degree while continuing in paid employment, building strong clinical skills, communication, and professional judgement. Learning is applied in practice straight away, helping apprentices grow in confidence as they progress.
For employers, this programme offers a structured route to develop and retain nursing talent. It meets Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards and integrates off-the-job learning into the working week, preparing apprentices for professional registration.
Why apprenticeships at ARU?
Nurse Education Provider of the Year
We’re proud to have been shortlisted for the Nurse Education Provider of the Year award in 2023.
We can help you reap the benefits of talent acquisition through apprenticeships.
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Over 25 years of nursing education experience
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Designed in collaboration with acute, primary care and community partners
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Reinvest your Levy funds to cover cost of training
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Nursing skills labs mimic the working hospital environment
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Approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council
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Embed organisational culture and processes from day one
learnt new skills to contribute to their workplace in a practical way.
Source ARU degree apprenticeships impact report
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Employer partners Joe, Dan, Emma and Tim explain why ARU apprenticeships work so well for their organisations, and highlight the benefits for SMEs and larger businesses.
We’ll help you launch your nursing career with confidence.
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Earn while you learn with no tuition fees
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Gain hands-on experience in real clinical settings
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Work towards NMC registration as a qualified adult nurse
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Apply new knowledge directly to everyday practice
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Nursing skills labs mimic the working hospital environment
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Diverse and inclusive learning environment for all ages
alumni would recommend apprenticeships to their peers.
Source ARU degree apprenticeships impact report
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Find out more about studying a Nursing Apprenticeship at ARU in this short video
Talent development
We value and advocate apprenticeships as they offer an excellent opportunity to earn whilst you learn and enables us to develop, grow and nurture a skilled workforce.
This apprenticeship provides a structured route for employers to develop skilled, confident nursing staff from within their workforce.
It’s suitable for healthcare providers across acute, community, and primary care settings who want to grow and retain talent, support career progression, and meet Nursing and Midwifery Council standards for registration as a Registered Nurse (Adult). This includes those with a Level 5 qualification relevant to nursing and aspire to become a registered nurse specialising in adult care.
Recruitment support for employers
Our dedicated apprenticeship team is on hand to help you attract the best candidates for your organisation. We can help with:
- crafting job advertisements
- promoting your vacancy to our quality candidate mailing lists
- adding your vacancy to the National Apprenticeship Service
- sharing opportunities across our social media channels.
Our consultants can also help you to assess candidates' suitability.
Creating a world-class apprenticeship
See how we helped Cambridge University Press recruit for their brand new degree apprenticeship.
I honestly believe doing an apprenticeship allows you to gain life skills, academic skills and understanding of the REAL world
Nursing really is a job for life. As an adult nurse, you’ll make a difference to many people’s lives, including your own.
As a registered nurse you’ll have the choice of a wide range of roles. You may choose to become a community professional and work in patients’ homes, clinic, GP surgeries or nursing homes. Or you may want to work as a nursing specialist or consultant within a hospital. Or you could take your education further still, conduct research or go into healthcare management.
Programme content
Approved by NMC
This course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council which demonstrates that the skills, knowledge and attributes your apprentices develop are aligned to the NMC professional standards. On successful completion of the course, apprentices will be able to register with the NMC.
We are dedicated to the continual improvement of every aspect of healthcare and delivering the values set out in the NHS Constitution.
Your apprentice will develop skills fundamental to nursing and patient care. This includes inter-professional team working and taking a collaborative approach to their work – recognising patients as partners in their care. As a qualified nurse they’ll identify people’s needs before planning and providing care.
Approved by NMC
This course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council which demonstrates that the skills, knowledge and attributes you’ll develop are aligned to the NMC professional standards. This means that on successful completion of the apprenticeship you’ll be able to register as Registered Nurse.
You’ll learn in a vibrant, modern faculty with strong ties to local and national organisations.
All our campuses feature nursing skills labs designed for your training. These labs mimic a real hospital ward and let you use advanced healthcare equipment.
Entry requirements
Employers set out the person specifications for the role, but apprentices will need to meet our entry requirements to be accepted onto this course.
- Employment in a suitable role on a permanent contract exceeding 30 hours per week. If your contract is less than 37.5 hours per week you will need to extend the length of your apprenticeship in order to meet the mandatory practice hours as required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
- Maths and English Level 2 qualifications.*
- GCSE Maths and English grade 4/C or above (or equivalents)*, plus ability to demonstrate a good command of written and spoken English. International applicants for whom English is not their first language, and who are unable to provide evidence of being taught and examined through the medium of English, are required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language via one of the following: GCSE English Language- Grade C or above English Language Testing System (IELTS) test at a minimum of 6 in each category.
- Evidence of a Level 5 qualification in a related subject, eg foundation degree in Nursing, Assistant Practitioner (Nursing) or Health and Social Care, from which up to 180 credits can be applied as Accredited Prior Learning (APL).**
*All applicants must meet the eligibility criteria outlined by the DfE Apprenticeship Funding Rules applicable at the start of the course. If you have any questions about these entry requirements, please contact [email protected]
Successful applicants must pass an interview. In the interview you will be expected to demonstrate appropriate values for health care and insight into your chosen field of nursing.
All applicants are required to complete an APCL/APEL portfolio to ensure mapping to the degree top-up to professional requirements and ARU’s modules. If you are not transferring directly from a foundation degree with ARU, you may also be required to complete a Safe Medicate exam.
If you are intending to top-up your higher apprenticeship qualification, you will not be eligible to start the degree apprenticeship course unless the DfE has received confirmation that you have successfully completed your End Point Assessment for the preceding apprenticeship.
You must supply these before you can be registered on the course:
- an Enhanced DBS for the Adult and Child Workforce, signed up to the online update service (ARU will fund new applications if you cannot provide this)
- occupational health clearance from your employer
- line manager confirmation of support.
Fees and funding
Degree apprenticeships are a smart investment. You can reinvest Levy funds to cover the cost of an apprenticeship or receive funding support from the Government.
If you operate in England and your annual payroll is over £3m, you pay a levy of 0.5% of your payroll into a levy account.
Apprenticeships are paid for by your employer. You won’t pay any tuition fees on this course.
Our team of experts is here to help form your organisation’s apprenticeship offering and guide you through the process.
Speak to your employer about this course and how it could be beneficial for your development.
Our expert consultants can meet with you and your employer to make setting up simple and straightforward.
To start an apprenticeship, you need to be in a suitable role and have the support of your employer.