Nursing Associates

We regulate nursing associates in broadly the same way that we regulate nurses and midwives. This includes registration, revalidation and fitness to practise.

The professions we regulate have different knowledge and skills, set out in three distinct standards of proficiency. They can work in diverse contexts and have different levels of autonomy and responsibility. However, all of the professions we regulate exercise professional judgement and are accountable for their work.

Nurses, midwives and nursing associates uphold the Code within the limits of their competence. This means, for example, that while a nurse and nursing associate will play different roles in an aspect of care, they will both uphold the standards in the Code within the contribution they make to overall care.

Resources for employers

Standards for nursing associates

The nursing associate standards of proficiency set out what all nursing associates will know and be able to do when they join our register.

Like the other professionals on our register, nursing associates can also complete further training and learn extra skills throughout their careers after they join our register.

Nurse leaders in England have been clear that the intention is for nursing associates to support and not substitute for nurses. Having more highly educated and skilled support staff should enable better use to be made of graduate nurse resources.

Protected title ‘nursing associate’

'Nursing associate' is a protected title in law.

It's an offence in England to practise as a nursing associate without being registered as one with us, or to falsely claim to be qualified or registered.

Employers are strongly advised not to recruit people to ‘nursing associate’ posts who will not be able to practise as nursing associates once the title is protected, or to advertise posts as ‘nursing associate’ posts if they are not going to be filled by qualified and registered nursing associates.

Nursing associate apprenticeships

The nursing associate apprenticeship standard has been approved and is now available for use. Programmes that meet this standard can be funded via the apprenticeship levy.

The current nursing associate apprentice standard requires nursing associate apprenticeships to be delivered by an NMC-approved approved education institution (AEI) for pre-registration nursing.

Find out more information about nursing associate pilot sites on the Health Education England website.