TRAINEE nurses are embarking on a new course to transform healthcare.
Coventry University have launched a ‘nursing association’ course which aims to bridge the gap between healthcare assistants and registered nurses.
Over the next two years 29 trainees will spend one day at the university and the rest of the time working at hospitals, health or social care organisations or in the community.
Healthcare bodies across the county have signed up to take on some of the trainees, including University Hospital Coventry, George Eliot Hospital and Myton Hospice.
Coventry University is part of a second wave of 24 test sites chosen by Health Education England to deliver the training for the new role, with 11 other pilot areas launching courses earlier this year.
It will create 2,000 nurses across the country by 2019.
University spokesman Professor Guy Daly said: “We are very pleased to be working alongside our health partners to deliver this important new course.
“This exciting new role has been created to help improve patient care and safety as the NHS workforce expands and diversifies.
“Key to this is the valuable experience our trainees will have working in hospital, community and health and social care settings during the two years of their course – and we look forward to working with our partners to deliver this.”
And University Hospital also believe the new nurses will be a coup for local healthcare.
Chief nursing officer Nina Fraser said: “We are extremely pleased to be working in partnership with Coventry University to deliver this new course and introduce this exciting role to our hospitals.
“The Nursing Associates will be an important addition to our clinical teams to help us meet the changing needs of patients and ensure we continue to provide them with high quality, safe care.”
