FD Nursing Associate Practice

About this course

The nursing associate role sits between healthcare support workers and registered nurses in the clinical team, providing a level of care that is more complex and autonomous than a healthcare assistant while working within defined professional boundaries. Nursing associate practice as an academic discipline develops the knowledge, skills, and professional values needed for this role, combining the biomedical science of human physiology and healthcare with the relational and communication skills that patient-centred care demands. The qualification is nationally registered and regulated, giving nursing associates a recognised professional identity. The Open University offers this programme on a part-time, distance-learning basis, which makes it particularly well suited to people who are already working as healthcare support workers and want to develop their qualifications and professional scope while remaining in employment. There is no fixed duration, allowing you to progress at a pace that fits your working commitments. You will develop your understanding of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and the evidence base for nursing practice, alongside clinical skills training and the professional and ethical frameworks that govern nursing associate practice. The Open University's flexible approach to learning is well suited to the realities of healthcare work, where shift patterns and clinical demands make conventional full-time study impractical. On completion of the programme and successful registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, you are qualified to work as a nursing associate across a wide range of NHS and independent healthcare settings. Nursing associates support registered nurses and other healthcare professionals, taking responsibility for a defined scope of clinical practice. Many nursing associates go on to complete a shortened pathway to become registered nurses, using their nursing associate qualification as a foundation. The role is an important part of the NHS workforce strategy, and demand for qualified nursing associates is growing across acute, community, and primary care settings.

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