University of Sheffield apprentices make major contribution to NHS frontline

Thomas Beresford completed his nursing apprenticeship in 2020 and is now responsible for groups and patients within A&E, as well as being a clinical educator at the University of Sheffield

A total of 110 nursing associates completed their apprenticeships at the University of Sheffield’s Health Sciences School, providing essential care to the critically ill in local hospitals, hospices and GP surgeries.

The completion rate of 80 per cent is significantly higher than the national average for England, which is estimated to be 60 per cent.

Thomas Beresford completed his nursing apprenticeship in 2020 during the first national lockdown and is now responsible for groups and patients within A&E.

Thomas said: “The apprenticeship has helped me up-skill on both my clinical skills and evidence-based knowledge around why we do what we do. It has allowed me to continue to learn and

develop my skills whilst remaining clinical for a large percentage of the time.

"The apprenticeship allowed me to stay in A&E where I feel it helped me to gain valuable experience.

“I enjoyed learning how to write in an academic way and also have to research and evidence this following a structured tool.

"The academic side offers you the chance to ask questions in regards to why we do what we do and learning the anatomy and physiology of the human body.”

On graduation, Thomas returned to an A&E department as a qualified nursing associate.

The devoted apprentices have individually completed 3,000 hours of learning and more than 2,000 hours of work placements in local hospitals, GP surgeries, hospices and with community healthcare providers over the two-year programme, which continued throughout the Covid pandemic.

Lynne Firth, director of apprenticeships at the University of Sheffield’s Health Sciences School, said: “Our achievement rate is over 20 per cent higher than the national benchmark for the Nursing Associate Apprenticeship standard. This is down to the dedication of all staff involved and the high levels of motivation of the apprentices, who have been working in high stress healthcare settings during the pandemic.”

The University of Sheffield was specially selected as the education provider for Trainee Nursing Associate Apprenticeships across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw back in 2018, providing a

progression route into graduate-level nursing many students would previously not have thought possible.

For more information on Nursing Associate Apprenticeships at the University of Sheffield, visit: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/health-sciences/apprenticeships/associate-apprenticeship.