Career pathways for nursing – the challenge with nursing for universities

With the NHS workforce crisis a continuing and significant issue, NHS England’s chief executive Amanda Pritchard has revealed plans to expand the use of apprenticeship schemes, with reports claiming that up to one in 10 doctors and a third of nurses could be trained through the apprenticeship route in the future. 

New career pathways for nursing have opened up the scope for making the role a more varied career. Many of these routes are offered by apprenticeships as a way to retain and develop existing staff and are becoming popular as a good way to recruit staff as well. However, this is not a viable route for all health and social care employers, or for many students, and the flexibility of the different routes available is essential to secure and train a national workforce. 

Nursing as a profession has advanced significantly over the years, with the knowledge and expertise required to become a responsive, patient centred practitioner increasing. Without degree level education and training, nurses would not have the high levels of critical analysis needed to support high quality patient safety and care – so how can we ensure NMC standards and proficiency achieved, remain the same whichever route is taken?

Professor Jane Perry, a former nurse with over 40 years of experience and now Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer at University College Birmingham, outlines the challenges Universities are facing with nursing apprenticeships and the regulations associated with them, alongside the persistent misconceptions around careers in nursing and pathways to a career in the industry.