Registered Nursing Associate / Registered Nurse Degree Apprentice (Step-Up Route)

Horizon Healthcare

DERBY (DE1 1TH)

Closes in 12 days (Wednesday 4 November 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 22 October 2026

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Contents

Summary

Horizon Healthcare is seeking an ambitious and motivated Nursing Associate who wishes to progress to become a Registered Nurse through a fully funded Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship (Nursing Associate Step-Up Route).

We are providing an exciting opportunity to develop advanced clinical knowledge and skills.

Wage

Competitive

Competitive wage offered

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Not AFC.

depending on experience

Training course
Registered nurse degree (NMC 2018) (level 6)
Hours
Monday to Friday, hours varying (but fixed) between 08.00 start an 18.00 finish. External placements may vary. Occasional weekends.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 4 January 2027

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

2

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Duties will include:

  • Delivering high-quality patient-centred care
  • Supporting chronic disease management services
  • Performing clinical observations and assessments
  • Supporting wound care and treatment room services
  • Delivering health promotion and prevention activities
  • Supporting vaccination and immunisation programmes
  • Participating in multidisciplinary care planning
  • Maintaining high-quality clinical records
  • Supporting quality improvement initiatives
  • Attending university teaching and placements
  • Completing apprenticeship and degree programme requirements
  • The role will provide opportunities to further develop clinical assessment, leadership and professional nursing skills

Where you'll work

3-5 BURTON ROAD
DERBY
DE1 1TH

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

UNIVERSITY OF DERBY

Training course

Registered nurse degree (NMC 2018) (level 6)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Act in accordance with the code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives, and fulfil all registration requirements.
  • Think critically when applying evidence and drawing on experience to make evidence informed decisions in all situations.
  • Use resilience and emotional intelligence and is capable of explaining the rationale that influences judgments and decisions in routine, complex and challenging situations.
  • Take responsibility for continuous self-reflection, seeking and responding to support and feedback to develop their professional knowledge and skills.
  • Safely demonstrate evidence-based practice in all skills and procedures required for entry to the register.
  • Acts as an ambassador, upholding the reputation of their profession and promoting public confidence in nursing, health and care services.
  • Communicate effectively using a range of skills and strategies with colleagues and people at all stages of life and with a range of mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural health challenges.
  • Support people at all stages of life who are emotionally or physically vulnerable.
  • Develop, manage and maintain appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues.
  • Provide and promote non-discriminatory, person centred and sensitive care at all times, reflecting on people’s values and beliefs, diverse backgrounds, cultural characteristics, language requirements, needs and preferences, taking account of any need for adjustments.
  • Report any situations, behaviours or errors that could result in poor care outcomes.
  • Identify and challenge discriminatory behaviour.
  • Contribute effectively and proactively in an interdisciplinary team.
  • Apply the principles of health promotion, protection and improvement and the prevention of ill health when engaging with people.
  • Use all appropriate opportunities, making reasonable adjustments when required, to discuss the impact of smoking, substance and alcohol use, sexual behaviours, diet and exercise on mental, physical and behavioural health and wellbeing, in the context of people’s individual circumstances.
  • Promote and improve mental, physical, behavioural and other health related outcomes by understanding and explaining the principles, practice and evidence-base for health screening programmes.
  • Use up to date approaches to behaviour change to enable people to use their strengths and expertise and make informed choices when managing their own health and making lifestyle adjustments.
  • Use appropriate communication skills and strength based approaches to support and enable people to make informed choices about their care to manage health challenges in order to have satisfying and fulfilling lives within the limitations caused by reduced capability, ill health and disability.
  • Provide information in accessible ways to help people understand and make decisions about their health, life choices, illness and care.
  • Promote health and prevent ill health by understanding and explaining to people the principles of pathogenesis, immunology and the evidence-base for immunisation, vaccination and herd immunity.
  • Protect health through understanding and applying the principles of infection prevention and control, including communicable disease surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship and resistance.
  • Accurately process all information gathered during the assessment process to identify needs for individualised nursing care and develop person-centred evidence-based plans for nursing interventions with agreed goals.
  • Effectively assess a person’s capacity to make decisions about their own care and to give or withhold consent.
  • Recognise and assess people at risk of harm and the situations that may put them at risk, ensuring prompt action is taken to safeguard those who are vulnerable.
  • Demonstrate the skills and abilities required to recognise and assess people who show signs of self-harm and/or suicidal ideation.
  • Undertake routine investigations, interpreting and sharing findings as appropriate.
  • Interpret results from routine investigations, taking prompt action when required by implementing appropriate interventions, requesting additional investigations or escalating to others.
  • Identify and assess the needs of people and families for care at the end of life, including requirements for palliative care and decision making related to their treatment and care preferences.
  • Work in partnership with people, families and carers to continuously monitor, evaluate and reassess the effectiveness of all agreed nursing care plans and care, sharing decision making and readjusting agreed goals, documenting progress and decisions made.
  • Support people with commonly encountered mental health, behavioural, cognitive and learning challenges, and act as a role model for others in providing high quality nursing interventions to meet people’s needs.
  • Support people with commonly encountered physical health conditions, their medication usage and treatments, and act as a role model for others in providing high quality nursing interventions when meeting people’s needs.
  • Act as a role model for others in providing evidence-based nursing care to meet people’s needs related to nutrition, hydration and bladder and bowel health.
  • Act as a role model for others in providing evidence-based, person-centred nursing care to meet people’s needs related to mobility, hygiene, oral care, wound care and skin integrity.
  • Identify and initiate appropriate interventions to support people with commonly encountered symptoms including anxiety, confusion, discomfort and pain.
  • Prioritise what is important to people and their families when providing evidence-based person-centred nursing care at end of life including the care of people who are dying, families, the deceased and the bereaved.
  • Respond proactively and promptly to signs of deterioration or distress in mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural health and use this knowledge to make sound clinical decisions.
  • Manage commonly encountered devices and confidently carry out related nursing procedures to meet people’s needs for evidence based, person-centred care.
  • Provide first aid procedures and basic life support.
  • Demonstrate numeracy, literacy, digital and technological skills to meet the needs of people receiving nursing care to ensure safe and effective nursing practice.
  • Co-ordinate and undertake the processes and procedures involved in routine planning and management of safe discharge home or transfer of people between care settings.
  • Maintain safe work and care environments.
  • Comply with local and national frameworks, legislation and regulations for assessing, managing and reporting risks, ensuring the appropriate action is taken.
  • Recognise risks to public protection and quality of care, escalating concerns appropriately.
  • Accurately undertake risk assessments in a range of care settings, using a range of contemporary assessment and improvement tools.
  • Identify the need to make improvements and proactively respond to potential hazards that may affect the safety of people.
  • Participate in all stages of audit activity and identify appropriate quality improvement strategies.
  • Use service delivery evaluation and audit findings to bring about continuous improvement.
  • Share feedback and learning from positive outcomes and experiences, mistakes and adverse outcomes and experiences.
  • Facilitate equitable access to healthcare for people who are vulnerable or have a disability.
  • Advocate on behalf of people who are vulnerable or have a disability when required, and make necessary reasonable adjustments to the assessment, planning and delivery of their care.
  • Identify and manage risks and take proactive measures to improve the quality of care and services when needed.
  • Safely and effectively lead and manage the nursing care of a group of people, demonstrating appropriate prioritisation, delegation and assignment of care responsibilities to others involved in providing care.
  • Guide, support and motivate individuals and interact confidently with other members of the care team.
  • Monitor and evaluate the quality of care delivered by others in the team and lay carers.
  • Support and supervise students in the delivery of nursing care, promoting reflection and providing constructive feedback, and evaluating and documenting their performance.
  • Challenge and provide feedback about care delivered by others in the team, and support them to identify and agree individual learning needs.
  • Contributes to supervision and team reflection activities to promote improvements in practice and services.
  • Use a range of digital technologies to access, input, share and apply information and data within teams and between agencies.
  • Act in accordance with the code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives, and fulfil all registration requirements.
  • Think critically when applying evidence and drawing on experience to make evidence informed decisions in all situations.
  • Use resilience and emotional intelligence and is capable of explaining the rationale that influences judgments and decisions in routine, complex and challenging situations.
  • Take responsibility for continuous self-reflection, seeking and responding to support and feedback to develop their professional knowledge and skills.
  • Safely demonstrate evidence-based practice in all skills and procedures required for entry to the register.
  • Acts as an ambassador, upholding the reputation of their profession and promoting public confidence in nursing, health and care services.
  • Communicate effectively using a range of skills and strategies with colleagues and people at all stages of life and with a range of mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural health challenges.
  • Support people at all stages of life who are emotionally or physically vulnerable.
  • Develop, manage and maintain appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues.
  • Provide and promote non-discriminatory, person centred and sensitive care at all times, reflecting on people’s values and beliefs, diverse backgrounds, cultural characteristics, language requirements, needs and preferences, taking account of any need for adjustments.
  • Report any situations, behaviours or errors that could result in poor care outcomes.
  • Identify and challenge discriminatory behaviour.
  • Contribute effectively and proactively in an interdisciplinary team.
  • Apply the principles of health promotion, protection and improvement and the prevention of ill health when engaging with people.
  • Use all appropriate opportunities, making reasonable adjustments when required, to discuss the impact of smoking, substance and alcohol use, sexual behaviours, diet and exercise on mental, physical and behavioural health and wellbeing, in the context of people’s individual circumstances.
  • Promote and improve mental, physical, behavioural and other health related outcomes by understanding and explaining the principles, practice and evidence-base for health screening programmes.
  • Use up to date approaches to behaviour change to enable people to use their strengths and expertise and make informed choices when managing their own health and making lifestyle adjustments.
  • Use appropriate communication skills and strength based approaches to support and enable people to make informed choices about their care to manage health challenges in order to have satisfying and fulfilling lives within the limitations caused by reduced capability, ill health and disability.
  • Provide information in accessible ways to help people understand and make decisions about their health, life choices, illness and care.
  • Promote health and prevent ill health by understanding and explaining to people the principles of pathogenesis, immunology and the evidence-base for immunisation, vaccination and herd immunity.
  • Protect health through understanding and applying the principles of infection prevention and control, including communicable disease surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship and resistance.
  • Accurately process all information gathered during the assessment process to identify needs for individualised nursing care and develop person-centred evidence-based plans for nursing interventions with agreed goals.
  • Effectively assess a person’s capacity to make decisions about their own care and to give or withhold consent.
  • Recognise and assess people at risk of harm and the situations that may put them at risk, ensuring prompt action is taken to safeguard those who are vulnerable.
  • Demonstrate the skills and abilities required to recognise and assess people who show signs of self-harm and/or suicidal ideation.
  • Undertake routine investigations, interpreting and sharing findings as appropriate.
  • Interpret results from routine investigations, taking prompt action when required by implementing appropriate interventions, requesting additional investigations or escalating to others.
  • Identify and assess the needs of people and families for care at the end of life, including requirements for palliative care and decision making related to their treatment and care preferences.
  • Work in partnership with people, families and carers to continuously monitor, evaluate and reassess the effectiveness of all agreed nursing care plans and care, sharing decision making and readjusting agreed goals, documenting progress and decisions made.
  • Support people with commonly encountered mental health, behavioural, cognitive and learning challenges, and act as a role model for others in providing high quality nursing interventions to meet people’s needs.
  • Support people with commonly encountered physical health conditions, their medication usage and treatments, and act as a role model for others in providing high quality nursing interventions when meeting people’s needs.
  • Act as a role model for others in providing evidence-based nursing care to meet people’s needs related to nutrition, hydration and bladder and bowel health.
  • Act as a role model for others in providing evidence-based, person-centred nursing care to meet people’s needs related to mobility, hygiene, oral care, wound care and skin integrity.
  • Identify and initiate appropriate interventions to support people with commonly encountered symptoms including anxiety, confusion, discomfort and pain.
  • Prioritise what is important to people and their families when providing evidence-based person-centred nursing care at end of life including the care of people who are dying, families, the deceased and the bereaved.
  • Respond proactively and promptly to signs of deterioration or distress in mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural health and use this knowledge to make sound clinical decisions.
  • Manage commonly encountered devices and confidently carry out related nursing procedures to meet people’s needs for evidence based, person-centred care.
  • Provide first aid procedures and basic life support.
  • Demonstrate numeracy, literacy, digital and technological skills to meet the needs of people receiving nursing care to ensure safe and effective nursing practice.
  • Co-ordinate and undertake the processes and procedures involved in routine planning and management of safe discharge home or transfer of people between care settings.
  • Maintain safe work and care environments.
  • Comply with local and national frameworks, legislation and regulations for assessing, managing and reporting risks, ensuring the appropriate action is taken.
  • Recognise risks to public protection and quality of care, escalating concerns appropriately.
  • Accurately undertake risk assessments in a range of care settings, using a range of contemporary assessment and improvement tools.
  • Identify the need to make improvements and proactively respond to potential hazards that may affect the safety of people.
  • Participate in all stages of audit activity and identify appropriate quality improvement strategies.
  • Use service delivery evaluation and audit findings to bring about continuous improvement.
  • Share feedback and learning from positive outcomes and experiences, mistakes and adverse outcomes and experiences.
  • Facilitate equitable access to healthcare for people who are vulnerable or have a disability.
  • Advocate on behalf of people who are vulnerable or have a disability when required, and make necessary reasonable adjustments to the assessment, planning and delivery of their care.
  • Identify and manage risks and take proactive measures to improve the quality of care and services when needed.
  • Safely and effectively lead and manage the nursing care of a group of people, demonstrating appropriate prioritisation, delegation and assignment of care responsibilities to others involved in providing care.
  • Guide, support and motivate individuals and interact confidently with other members of the care team.
  • Monitor and evaluate the quality of care delivered by others in the team and lay carers.
  • Support and supervise students in the delivery of nursing care, promoting reflection and providing constructive feedback, and evaluating and documenting their performance.
  • Challenge and provide feedback about care delivered by others in the team, and support them to identify and agree individual learning needs.
  • Contributes to supervision and team reflection activities to promote improvements in practice and services.
  • Use a range of digital technologies to access, input, share and apply information and data within teams and between agencies.

Training schedule

You will be based with Horizon Healthcare GP surgery in Derby over 2 sites. You will undertake a Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship via an approved Nursing Associate Step-Up pathway with Derby University.

More training information

Derby University BSc-step on course for Adult Nursing commencing January 2027 for 18 months, covering; Transition to nursing practice, developing nursing practice, leadership for nursing practice, innovation and improvement in nursing practice, transition to autonomous practice modules.

Practice weeks - 18.75 hours per week practice-based learning, 2.75 hours per week reflection, 16 hours theory

Assessment weeks - 37.5 hours theory

Placement weeks - 37.5 hours per week practice based learning

Entry Criteria;

Foundation degree
NA qualification
Level 2 Maths/English
External placement opportunity
Horizon will confirm you have met occupational health and DBS requirements.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English language (grade 4/C or above)
  • Mathematics (grade 4/C or above)

Degree in:

Foundation Degree Nursing Associate (FdSc) (grade Pass)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Strong clinical skills
  • Compassionate approach to care
  • Commitment to CPD

Other requirements

  • Passing a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
  • Subject to Occupational Health assessment

About this employer

Horizon Healthcare is a large, progressive NHS general practice in Derby, serving around 29,000 registered patients. The practice has experienced sustained growth, increasing from 20,437 patients in March 2021 to 28,734 in March 2026, representing growth of more than 40% over five years. 

Our mission is "Providing Safe, Accessible Primary Healthcare Services At Scale". Our vision is to establish an organisation that everyone is proud to belong to, empower people to deliver efficient, high-quality healthcare and wellbeing, and enable supportive leadership at every level.

Our four core values are Person Centred, Systematic, Dedicated and Brave. They translate into seeing and respecting the whole person, collaborating effectively, using data and robust processes, taking ownership and pride in our work, and having the confidence to identify opportunities and take initiative. 

Horizon combines growth with a strong focus on organisational culture and workforce development. Its strategic ambitions include continued patient-list growth, expansion of services, multidisciplinary working, tackling health inequalities and developing its workforce to meet the changing needs of its population. We are an established part of Derby City North PCN.

We are a Certified Great Place to Work.

https://horizonhealthcare.nhs.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Benefits

  • NHS Pension Scheme
  • 24 days annual leave plus bank holidays
  • Fully funded Registered
  • Nurse Degree Apprenticeship
  • Protected study time
  • Clinical supervision and mentorship
  • Career progression opportunities
  • Opportunity to develop a career in primary care nursing

After this apprenticeship

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

Horizon Healthcare is committed to developing its nursing workforce. Following successful completion of the apprenticeship and NMC registration as a Registered Nurse, opportunities for progression within Horizon Healthcare will be considered subject to service requirements and available vacancies.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

Horizon Healthcare

Steph Gillott

s.gillott@nhs.net

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000060259.

Apply now

Closes in 12 days (Wednesday 4 November 2026 at 11:59pm)