At NCC Home Learning we are all about celebrating the success of our students, and a recent email from a learner prompted us here to consider writing this article to demonstrate how you can use your NCC adult care or health and social care course to get you on track to starting a more rewarding career as a nurse within the NHS.
Lisa’s journey into nursing
Lisa joined our community of learners in September 2020 as she embarked upon the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care RQF regulated qualification.
“I really found the NCC tutor support exceptional, as I struggled initially to know where to start as I was a more mature student returning to education for a change of career. After facing redundancy for the second time, I realised that I needed to leave the retail sector and I decided that I wanted to give something back.
I wanted to become a nurse, but I couldn’t give up work to do that as I had a family to take care of. I took the Adult Care course with NCC and then managed to gain a placement within a care home nearby. It certainly was a challenge initially. I was obviously used to hard work, but the demands and responsibilities on care workers was a lot to take on initially, particularly as I was learning the role.
This unfortunately caused me to not be able to complete the course within the 12 months, but NCC were great, and I was able to purchase an extension and complete my course and gain my official qualification.
Last year I applied for a Trainee Nurse Associate vacancy at my local hospital in Bath, and I am now employed doing what I love. I will have to do a number of different placements within the hospital in order to meet my training needs, but so far, I am really enjoying my new job.
Thank you NCC for helping me get this far!”
What is a Nursing Associate?
Nursing associates collaborate with healthcare support staff and registered nurses to provide care for patients and the public.
In their professional role, nursing associates operate across various nursing domains, including adult, children’s, mental health, and learning disability. The scope of their skills and responsibilities depends on the specific care environment in which they are employed.
The standard working week for this role typically spans 37.5 hours, covering a variety of shifts, including nights, early mornings, evenings, and weekends. As a trainee nursing associate, your remuneration will typically align with band 3 on the Agenda for Change (AFC) pay system, progressing to band 4 upon qualification.
In addition to competitive pay, you’ll enjoy access to a comprehensive pension scheme and health service discounts.
Entry requirements
Embarking on your journey as a nursing associate requires GCSEs graded 9 to 4 (A to C) in both maths and English, or Functional Skills Level 2 in these subjects. Some employers may also seek a level 3 qualification, such as the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care RQF or the CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care RQF (if you don’t have a work placement in the care sector that is willing to mentor you). Demonstrating your ability to pursue a foundation degree level of study and successfully complete the Nursing Associate Apprenticeship programme is essential.
FAQs
Originally, NCC stood for the National Consortium of Further Education (FE) Colleges, bringing together these institutions to optimise educational provision. Regular national meetings convened Colleges and Government agencies, fostering collaboration and facilitating the efficient delivery of training to students. Over a span of more than 25 years, NCC has evolved to specialise in delivering exceptionally high-quality online training. This training is accessible to a diverse range of students, including those who are self-funded, sponsored by schools, employers, or training providers.
Online learning enables you to access course materials and study from anywhere in the world and at any time that suits you. Some of our courses have been customised with a reputable Awarding Organisation to provide evidence of knowledge in a particular area where there might not be a formal qualification available. Or alternatively we have a large number of ofqual regulated courses that you can access from the comfort of your own home. Once completed you are usually certificated within approximately 6 weeks subject to moderation.
Online learning enables you to access course materials and study from anywhere in the world and at any time that suits you. Some of our courses have been customised with a reputable Awarding Organisation to provide evidence of knowledge in a particular area where there might not be a formal qualification available. Or alternatively we have a large number of ofqual regulated courses that you can access from the comfort of your own home. Once completed you are usually certificated within approximately 6 weeks subject to moderation.
Nick Cooper
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