Nursing associates: will they become a cheap substitute for nurses?

As the first cohort of trainees prepare for this new NHS role, there are fears it could be exploited and become a dead-end job

Hilda Alexis has always wanted to be a nurse. But lack of educational opportunity and raising a family meant that being a healthcare assistant was the closest she thought she would ever get. Now, mid-career, she has a chance to realise her dream.

Alexis is one of the first 2,000 trainee nursing associates (NAs) who are part way through preparation for a new role in the NHS in England. The job is seen as a bridge between healthcare assistant and registered nurse (RN), taking on some tasks usually performed by the latter. But it will also offer a route for some NAs to qualify as nurses.

Related: 'Nursing makes all the difference in healthcare': how the job has changed

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Continue reading... March 06, 2018 at 06:37PM