Student Nursing Associate

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m. We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £500m transformation programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work. We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group. As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

Job overview: We are seeking motivated and compassionate individuals to join UHD as a Student Nursing Associate. This developmental role offers the opportunity to undertake the Nursing Associate Training Programme while gaining valuable clinical experience across a variety of healthcare settings. The successful post holder will work towards achieving a Level 5 Foundation Degree qualification and progression to a registered Nursing Associate role.

Working under the supervision of registered healthcare professionals, the Student Nursing Associate will support the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care, assisting patients with a wide range of physical, emotional, social, and cultural needs. The role combines clinical practice, academic study, and placement learning, enabling the post holder to develop clinical competence, leadership skills, and a strong understanding of the nursing process.

The post holder will undertake delegated care activities, monitor and record patient observations, maintain accurate records, promote health and independence, and contribute to service improvement initiatives. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, they will demonstrate UHD's values of compassion, professionalism, and respect while supporting excellent patient outcomes and their own professional development.

Strong communication skills, a commitment to learning, and the ability to balance academic and clinical responsibilities are essential for success in this role.

Main duties of the job: The Nursing Associate apprenticeship programme combines and integrates both academic and work-based learning through close collaboration between employers and education providers. A Student Nursing Associate will be based, as an employee, in a specific setting, but will experience working in alternative settings in order that they gain a wide appreciation of many health and care contexts and are able to fulfil all the requirements of the programme.

At the end of the programme, the Student Nursing Associate will be equipped with the knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and behaviours relevant to employment as a Nursing Associate and will work to a nationally recognised code of conduct. The apprenticeship programme emphasises the role that Student Nursing Associates can play in life-course, approaches towards health and well-being and the ways in which they actively contribute to the delivery of holistic care.

Holistic care, across life-course, is a whole-person approach which considers, and equally values, physical, psychological, and public health needs, learning disabilities, social, economic, spiritual and other factors in the assessing, planning and delivery of care. The overall outcome from the apprenticeship programme is a Nursing Associate who is fit to practice in the widest range of settings as well as being equipped with the specific knowledge, skills and capabilities required for the context in which they have trained and are employed.

Working for our organisation: UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service-specific questions at interview. If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.

UHD has active networks including Women’s, BAME, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes. AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process.

For UHD employees, this fixed-term post will be offered as a secondment in line with the Trust’s Secondment Policy. Please speak with your line manager before applying.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities: Please see the Person Specification and Job Description Attached for further Details about the main duties of the role.

Qualifications: To have GCSEs Grade C or above in Maths and English Language / New GCSE Grade 4-9 in Maths and English Language OR Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths and English or Equivalent (not entry level 2) and be able to provide evidence at interview to have Full NVQ Level 3/BTEC or equivalent/A Levels and be able to provide evidence at interview to be eligible for the apprenticeship scheme Care Certificate.

Experience: Experience of working in a health, social care, residential care, community care, support work, childcare, voluntary care or customer-facing environment where care, support or wellbeing of others has been a key component of the role. Experience of communicating effectively with members of the public, patients, service users, relatives or customers from a range of backgrounds. Experience of working as part of a team to achieve shared goals and deliver a high-quality service. Experience of following policies, procedures and instructions to maintain safety and quality standards. Experience of managing own workload and completing tasks within agreed timescales. Experience of working within an acute NHS trust.

Knowledge: Awareness of the limitations of the Student Nursing Associate Role. Understand the scope of the Student Nursing Associate role in context of the team and the organisation.

Personal Attributes: Show motivation and commitment to make the most of this learning opportunity and develop a passion for excellence in care. Demonstrate an insight into how to evaluate own strengths and development needs, seeking advice where appropriate. Able to speak English as necessary to undertake the role.

Please note: Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands. This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received. COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: Staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.