From all the team at Broadmead Medical Centre and across BrisDoc, we would like to send a huge congratulations to Cally Slaughter and the whole 2017 cohort who has just finished the very first Foundation Nursing Associate Training Programme. This pilot scheme was designed to train healthcare workers from a variety of backgrounds to work in a newly developed role as an NMC registered Band 4 Nursing Associate.

So, what is a Nursing Associate? 
The Nursing Associate role is a new support role that will sit alongside existing healthcare support workers and fully-qualified registered nurses to deliver hands-on care for patients. Health Education England says the creation of this role is to bridge the gap between HCAs and Registered nurses.

Cally is the first and only person to have undertaken the course from a Primary Care background. This has created a number of additional challenges with the course leaders having to adapt many of the competencies required to complete the course to suit a Primary Care setting.

For more information on the role of a Nursing Associate check out this video or visit the NMC wbsite – www.nmc.org.uk/standards/nursing-associates