Recruits have celebrated completing their training for a brand new nursing role.

They have graduated as Nursing Associates, a new registered nursing role at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, which runs both Stepping Hill Hospital and services in the community, where they will be working alongside registered nurses to deliver care for patients and the public.

They celebrated completing their training with a graduation ceremony at the trust’s education centre. They are among the first Nursing Associates to qualify across the country.

The newly qualified Nursing Associates were recruited from existing healthcare assistants as part of a scheme to provide a new caring role, bridging the gap between healthcare assistants and registered nurses. They work alongside these colleagues to deliver hands-on care, focusing on ensuring patients getting the compassionate care they need. They also allow registered nurses to focus on more complex clinical duties. 

Nursing Associates use improved skills to help them identify conditions among patients and plan care alongside staff nurses. They received their training on the job whilst also spending a day a week at university. Now no longer trainees, they work in medical and surgical wards at Stepping Hill Hospital, and also community settings such as health centres, helping to provide enhanced care, with good feedback from both patients and other staff members.

Ten of the twelve newly qualified recruits were present at the celebration ceremony, and presented with a cake by Stockport NHS Foundation Trust’s Chief Nurse and Director of Quality Governance Alison Lynch.

Alison Lynch said “It’s been an absolute delight to welcome the qualification of our new Nursing Associates, who have shown real care, dedication and enthusiasm during their training. This is an exciting new role which will enable them to provide more enhanced care for their patients, and more support for their nursing colleagues.”