Nursing associate

Introduction to the role

As a nursing associate, you’ll work across all four fields of nursing – adult, children’s, mental health, and learning disability – providing essential care to support patients’ health and wellbeing. You’ll be a key member of the nursing team, working alongside registered nurses and healthcare support workers to make sure patients receive safe, compassionate, and high-quality care.

Your responsibilities will depend on the care setting you work in, from hospital wards to community clinics, but in every role you’ll be expected to uphold the values and behaviours set out in the NHS Constitution. It’s a role that requires empathy, teamwork, and a commitment to improving people’s lives every day.

If you're passionate about making a difference to people's lives, enjoy working as part of a team, and want to develop and practise your clinical skills in a supportive environment, becoming a nursing associate could be the perfect career for you.

About the role

What does a nursing associate do?

Day to day, your work as a nursing associate will be varied and focused on meeting the needs of your patients. You might be undertaking clinical tasks such as venepuncture or ECGs, or measuring and recording observations like blood pressure, temperature, respiration, and pulse. These tasks are vital in helping the wider healthcare team monitor patients’ conditions and provide the right treatment.

You’ll also support patients and their families when they’re facing unwelcome news or life-changing diagnoses, offering reassurance and compassion during difficult times. Maintaining dignity, privacy, and safety will always be central to your work. You’ll share important information with registered nurses about a patient’s condition, behaviour, and responses, and remain vigilant to safeguarding concerns for vulnerable children and adults.

What are the pay and conditions like?

As a nursing associate, a full-time job is 37.5 hours a week, however there are opportunities to work part-time. Many healthcare services provide 24/7 care, therefore you may be expected to work across various shifts which include days, nights, weekends and bank holidays. Employers will review flexible working requests and patterns on an individual basis. Most newly qualified nurses start on band 5 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale.

You’ll also benefit from access to the NHS Pension Scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, and at least 27 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays.

Where associate nursing can take you

Once you’ve completed your training, you’ll have the skills, knowledge and experience to work as a registered nursing associate in a wide range of healthcare settings.

You could:

• choose to specialise in specific areas like surgery, diabetes care, or eating disorders.
• work across general healthcare services.

Nursing associates are a registered professional role, regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).  But for those who wish to, the role can also serve as a route into registered nursing through further study.

Person specification

Is a career as a nursing associate right for you?

Being a nursing associate means working closely with patients, families and other healthcare professionals across a wide range of settings. You’ll need to be caring, adaptable and able to support people in sometimes challenging situations, always showing compassion and professionalism. The role requires excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to follow care plans while recognising when to escalate concerns to senior colleagues.

Ask yourself:

• Can I show empathy and reassurance to people during difficult or emotional times?

• Am I able to work effectively as part of a team while taking responsibility for my own duties?

   

Entry requirements and training

To begin your training as a nursing associate, you’ll need GCSEs at grade 9 to 4 (A to C) in maths and English, or Functional Skills Level 2 in both subjects. Some employers will also ask for a level 3 qualification. You’ll need to show you can study at foundation degree level 

Student nursing associate places can be applied for directly through universities, or via apprenticeship routes with employers. Applicants accepted onto university courses will need to fund their own training, while apprenticeships allow you to earn a salary as you learn.

Find out more about Routes into NHS with UCAS.

Work experience

Applying for a course or apprenticeship to study to become a nursing associate is going to be competitive. If you're seriously considering it, it is a great idea to try and gain some prior work experience to strengthen your application visit NHS England to find out more about gain work experience for NHS Careers.