University offers a ‘gateway’ to become a nurse

A NEW apprenticeship initiative has been launched in Yorkshire to capitalise on the surge in interest in NHS careers and create a lasting legacy in healthcare.

Leeds Beckett University has joined forces with The Open University and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to create the new gateway to a career in nursing.

The NHS Trust’s programme will provide both experienced and aspiring healthcare workers with the practical skills and qualifications they need to start a new career as a Nursing Associate or Registered Nurse.

Katie Robinson, the head of nursing, workforce and education at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The expertise and state-of-the-art facilities at Leeds Beckett will provide our future workforce with all the skills and knowledge needed to support the growth of our trust.”

Students on the programme will combine their studies for a foundation degree at either Leeds Beckett or The Open University with work placements across a range of specialities. This is followed by a year working as a Nursing Associate, developing skills and practice.

Students can then progress to the two-year Apprentice Nurse programme, leading to a BSc (Hons) Nursing degree and Registered Nurse status.

Sue Sherwin, the Dean of the School of Health and Community Studies at Leeds Beckett, said: “This new and exciting programme provides an opportunity for people to enter the nursing profession who would otherwise be unable to do so and will recruit from a diverse community of people.”

The first cohort of students will begin in September, with a second intake starting in January 2021.