Each year on May 12th, the world comes together to celebrate International Nurses Day — a moment to honour the dedication, compassion, and impact of nurses everywhere.
This year, we shine a light on two young adults from Plymouth who are pursuing a Nursing career having trained as Nursing Associates (NAs) – a growing part of the healthcare workforce.
Thomas and Chloe have just completed a two-year Student Nursing Associate Foundation Degree apprenticeship where their university tuition fees were fully funded, and they were paid to put their learning into practice across Livewell Southwest services in Plymouth. They are now able to work towards a Degree Apprenticeship which will see them qualify as Registered Nurses.
Nursing Associates work with people of all ages across health and social care and bridge the gap between Healthcare Support Workers and Registered Nurses. The role contributes to the core work of nursing, allowing Registered Nurses to focus on more complex clinical care.
They have now qualified as Nursing Associates which is a Band 4 healthcare job with a starting salary of £26,530. It is regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
The District Nursing Team were the first service to support Student Nursing Associates in 2017. Since then, more than one hundred people have been supported through the apprenticeship programme. The majority were colleagues already working at Livewell Southwest who wanted to progress their careers.
Thomas and Chloe were part of the New to Care programme in 2022. It was created to support young people who wanted to develop a defined career in healthcare by using the Nursing Associate training pathway. Livewell Southwest has currently funded six people on this programme.
Thomas Oliver
Thomas has a rare form of horseshoe kidney and spent most of his childhood in and out of hospital getting treatment. He remembers: “I had a lot of time seeing what it’s like to be a patient. To feel how much the nursing staff affected my life in a positive way, I always thought it would be a nice job to do for other people.”
Thomas passion for nursing formed from an early age
When he was 18 years old, he started at the Glenbourne Unit, which is an acute mental health hospital in Plymouth for adults who are too unwell to be treated at home.
“I worked as a Healthcare Assistant on Harford Ward for six months before I was able to start my course. Then in March 2023, I went to the University of Plymouth every Tuesday. I would also work different shifts from earlies to lates, long days and night shifts for the last two and a half years.
“On an acute psychiatric ward, we deal with lots of different things from very, very acutely unwell people to also quite hard to deal with physical health conditions. I have been able to learn about both.
“Working whilst being paid and going to university at the same time has been really beneficial. It has allowed me to still feel financially secure whilst learning. I have not had to pay a penny, and I have been paid for the privilege to work in this environment and go into nursing at the same time.”
Chloe Blackwell
Chloe on Results Day 2022
Chloe was born and raised in the Devonport area of Plymouth. She decided to join the apprenticeship programme when she was studying A-levels at Scott College. She now works in the District Nursing Team.
“When this opportunity came along at Livewell Southwest, I took it and it was the best decision I ever made. Being able to provide care in the area I grew up is just such an amazing feeling.
“I was 18 when I first started this programme and I have never had to worry about money. If you are at university, it can be quite stressful worrying about finance.
“There have also been so many learning opportunities. You experience such a variety of nursing in the community and it is different every day. You get to see people in their own homes and provide care so they don’t have to go into hospital. It is really lovely.”
Chloe on a regular visit to Robert
Tracy Jones, Nursing Associate and Assistant Practitioner Lead said: “Since we started the programme, we have had school leavers to people in their fifties complete this apprenticeship. It is about supporting people who want to come into healthcare to absolutely embrace their career opportunities and stay with us.
“Thomas and Chloe are very young and very new but they have really grasped the learning and the opportunity this has given them. They are on a career pathway journey where the Nursing Associate role might only be the beginning. The Nursing Associate role means that you will be a registered member of the nursing team but also give you that opportunity to be able to step on to do the Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship that Livewell Southwest also supports at the University of Plymouth. I am really keen to support our staff to be the best that they can be.”
For more information about the Livewell Southwest apprenticeship programmes visit www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk
