Health Education England is seeking the views of health stakeholders in order to help shape a new support role designed to complement the care given by nurses.
The new role is expected to work alongside care assistants and registered nurses to deliver hands-on care, focusing on ensuring patients continue to get the best level of care possible.
The expectation is that the new role will help bridge the gap between health and care support workers, who have a care certificate, and graduate registered nurses.
HEE now wants your help, via a public consultation, to define the details for the new role.
The consultation seeks views on a range of issues, including:
- principles for the new care role
- learning outcomes that will need to be assessed to assure quality, safety and public confidence in the role
- Identifying what academic achievement, if any, would be required, alongside practical skills and how this learning should be best delivered
- looking at whether or not the proposed role should be regulated
- agreeing the title of this new role. It has provisionally been given the title Nursing Associate.
Click here to read more about the consultation.
If you would like to comment on the consultation, please contact [email protected] by 24 February.
Professor Ian Cumming, Chief Executive, Health Education England said:
“There is wide support across the NHS for the principle of a new role that supports registered nurses.
“We are now inviting stakeholders and other interested groups to help us with the specific details such as the scope of the role and education and training requirements.
“I believe that this new role will help build the capacity and capability of the health and social care workforce and allow high quality care to be delivered to a diverse and ageing population.”