Nursing Associate
The nursing associate role was established to bridge the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses, providing a skilled and regulated practitioner who can deliver a wide range of clinical, care, and interpersonal nursing tasks under appropriate supervision, while working within a clearly defined scope of practice. Nursing associates work across health and social care settings, including hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries, community services, and mental health teams, and they play an increasingly important part in the delivery of nursing care in the UK.
At Birmingham City University, this two-year, full-time Foundation degree programme develops the knowledge, skills, and professional values required for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a nursing associate. The curriculum is underpinned by a systematic knowledge base and structured to develop compassionate, competent, and confident practitioners who can work safely and effectively within their parameters of practice. You will develop clinical and care skills across a range of settings and patient groups, learning to apply evidence-based practice and demonstrate the values and behaviours expected of a regulated healthcare professional.
Practice placement is central to the programme, giving you supervised experience across different healthcare environments throughout your training.
A typical entry tariff of 88 points reflects an accessible admissions threshold for a professionally demanding programme. Graduates achieve the Foundation degree qualification and NMC registration as a nursing associate, enabling them to work in substantive clinical roles across health and social care. Many nursing associate graduates go on to complete a one-year top-up degree to become registered nurses, using the nursing associate qualification as a direct pathway into the nursing profession.
The role is in strong demand across the NHS and the independent sector, and it offers a clear and well-supported route into a healthcare career.