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Nursing Associates Top-Up Training

Reference: 24-25283

Date response sent: 14/10/2024

Details of enquiry

I would like information on your trust’s nursing associates (NAs) and the number who ‘top up’ their training to become registered nurses.  ‘Registered nursing top up’ is a shorter two-year degree or a nursing degree apprenticeship equivalent to a BSc in nursing that recognises prior certified learning and allows a registered nursing associate to become a registered nurse.

 

Please answer the following five questions under the Freedom of Information Act and see example answers as a guide.

 

  1. How many registered [normally band 4] nursing associates does your trust employ? [For example: 20]
  2. In the last 12 months (September 2023-24), how many registered [normally band 4] nursing associates at your trust is your nursing lead (ie: chief nurse or nurse director or most senior nurse) aware of that have applied to do a ‘Registered nursing top up’ course? [For example: 15]
  3. In the last 12 months (September 2023-24), how many registered [normally band 4] nursing associates at your trust have completed a ‘Registered nursing top up’ course? [For example: 10]

i. Of those who have completed the course, how many now work as registered nurses at the trust? [For example: 8]

4. How many ‘Registered nursing top up’ training places did your trust fund in the last 12 months, (September 2023-24) using the apprenticeship levy? [For example: 10]

5. What criteria must a registered [normally band 4] nursing associates meet to qualify for funding for a ‘Registered nursing top up’ training place from your trust? [For example: ‘They need to have worked at the trust for at least one year and completed their nursing associate training under Nursing and Midwifery Council approved curriculum’]

Response sent

Please kindly note that the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is a small specialist mental health Trust, and not a hospital. This is reflected below in our response, where you will see that we do not have comparable numbers of nurses to larger acute Trusts.

The Trust employs a small number of experienced registered nurses, around 30 at any given point, and does not currently employ any nursing associates, nor provides a pathway for nursing associates to train to become registered nurses, as we do not have an apprenticeship set up to support this.  We are working, however, with other organisations to explore how we can do this partnership.

  1. How many registered [normally band 4] nursing associates does your trust employ?

Zero

  1. In the last 12 months (September 2023-24), how many registered [normally band 4] nursing associates at your trust is your nursing lead (ie: chief nurse or nurse director or most senior nurse) aware of that have applied to do a ‘Registered nursing top up’ course?

Zero

  1. In the last 12 months (September 2023-24), how many registered [normally band 4] nursing associates at your trust have completed a ‘Registered nursing top up’ course?

Zero

  1. Of those who have completed the course, how many now work as registered nurses at the trust?

Zero – see above responses

  1. How many ‘Registered nursing top up’ training places did your trust fund in the last 12 months, (September 2023-24) using the apprenticeship levy?

Zero

  1. What criteria must a registered [normally band 4] nursing associates meet to qualify for funding for a ‘Registered nursing top up’ training place from your trust?

Zero

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