Nursing apprenticeship

[Nursingadvice]

Shamelessly posting for traffic…
I am late 30’s and feel massively unsettled. I seem to have developed ambition which was unfortunately lacking in my younger years and now feel like I need a career.

I currrently work in the NHS as a band 4 In the health visiting team. I have not been in the NHS for very long. I am really thinking about progression but the only progression for me in my current role is nursing and I can not afford uni nor can I manage the placements and shift work with childcare.

I know there’s are nursing degree apprenticeships which would at least solve the money issues, but does anybody know if it is in anyway possible to do a nursing degree whilst keeping my current job and 9-5 hours. I know I’d obviously still need to go on placements for experience as my current job would not expose me to the medical side of things.

I have no idea who at work I could talk to about this as it’s unheard of. Band 5 up to 6 is common but band 4s just stay put or leave.

When is your next appraisal? It would be a perfect time to talk about it.

Find out who the education leads are in your trust (ask a student if in doubt).

Our trust does a thing where they are seconded as students but continue to work at their base between placements. Maybe worth seeing if your trust might do similar.

If you were one of my band 4s I would be delighted to hear about your ambitions and goals and would support you as much as I could.

Does your current job have bank roles? To train as a nurse you'd need to be able to do full time hours when on placements in clinical areas. Bank would be flexible

Again, that is not correct. I know because I am doing exactly what the OP is asking about. It might not be something the Trust where you work would support but it is possible and is already happening elsewhere.

Here is the apprentice standard.

https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/registered-nurse-degree-nmc-2018-v1-1

If her role allows her to gain knowledge and skills in all those areas, it can be done, but an ‘Associate’ has a different apprenticeship with different standards.

In your role, you need to satisfy all of the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB’s) in the standard and if your trust can support that - great.

OP isn't asking about the associate foundation degree. It can absolutely be done in HV team, there’s still block placements and opportunities to learn. But it does need the support of the Trust and I’m aware it’s a relatively new pathway, we only started doing it two years ago in my area, so many people aren’t aware of it.

I’m in a big city trust so hopefully it’s something they’re aware of

Unfortunately it turns out my trust does not offer a nursing apprenticeship. Only the associate one.
@WreckTangled I’m sending you another PM if you don’t mind