King, R. orcid.org/0000-0003-4012-0202, Laker, S., Alden, S. et al. (6 more authors) (2023) Training and development experiences of nursing associate trainees based in primary care across England: a qualitative study. Primary Health Care Research and Development, 24. E32. pp. 1-7. ISSN 1463-4236
Abstract
Background: The nursing associate role was first deployed in England in 2019 to fill a perceived skills gap in the nursing workforce between healthcare assistants and registered nurses and to offer an alternative route into registered nursing. Initially, trainee nursing associates were predominantly based in hospital settings; however, more recently, there has been an increase in trainees based in primary care settings. Early research has focussed on experiences of the role across a range of settings, particularly secondary care; therefore, little is known about the experiences and unique support needs of trainees based in primary care.
Aim: To explore the experiences and career development opportunities for trainee nursing associates based in primary care.
Methods: This study used a qualitative exploratory design. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 11 trainee nursing associates based in primary care from across England. Data were collected between October and November 2021, transcribed and analysed thematically.
Findings: Four key themes relating to primary care trainee experiences of training and development were identified. Firstly, nursing associate training provided a ‘valuable opportunity for career progression’. Trainees were frustrated by the ‘emphasis on secondary care’ in both academic content and placement portfolio requirements. They also experienced ‘inconsistency in support’ from their managers and assessors and noted a number of ‘constraints to their learning opportunities’, including the opportunity to progress to become registered nurses.
Conclusion: This study raises important issues for trainee nursing associates, which may influence the recruitment and retention of the nursing associate workforce in primary care. Educators should consider adjustments to how the curriculum is delivered, including primary care skills and relevant assessments. Employers need to recognise the resource requirements for the programme, in relation to time and support, to avoid undue stress for trainees. Protected learning time should enable trainees to meet the required proficiencies.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s), 2023. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited. |
Keywords: | education nursing; health workforce; nursing associates; primary health care; United Kingdom |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > Health Sciences School (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 03 May 2023 09:50 |
Last Modified: | 03 May 2023 09:50 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/S1463423623000221 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:198712 |