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- Use a desire to help people to care for those who are sick
- Work closely with registered nurses
- Potential to train to become a registered nurse
As a nursing associate, you'll work in a hospital or in the community, providing care for sick people of all ages.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Setting up drips and taking blood samples
- Monitoring equipment like electrocardiograms (ECGs)
- Recording data, like temperature and blood pressure
- Cleaning and dressing wounds
- Giving injections and certain medications
- Sharing information about patients' progress with registered nurses
- Supporting patients and their families
- Caring for patients with mental health or learning disabilities
- Maintaining hygiene standards and managing risks
- Updating patient and work records
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a hospice or in the community. Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You'll need
To become a nursing associate, you'll need a desire to help people, knowledge of psychology, thoroughness and attention to detail, the ability to work well with others, the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure, sensitivity and understanding, patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations, and excellent verbal communication skills.
You'll need to pass enhanced background checks.
You could do a Nursing Associate Foundation degree at university which takes 2 years to complete.
You can do a nursing associate higher apprenticeship. This takes 2 years to complete and combines study with training on the job.
You could also start as a healthcare assistant or care worker in a hospital or community care setting. Once you have some experience, you could apply for a place on the nursing associate higher apprenticeship and train on the job.
Paid or voluntary experience in a healthcare setting or personal care role will be beneficial when applying for jobs.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you can train to become a registered nurse by completing a shortened nursing degree or a nursing degree apprenticeship.