Why choose the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Education
All our Nursing and Midwifery courses are regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). This course meets the requirements of the national Nursing Associate Training programme curriculum as well as the NHS Constitution.
The course is flexible - you attend university for the equivalent of one day a week - so it fits alongside your current employment and other commitments.
Successful completion of this Foundation degree means you will be eligible to apply for nursing associate posts or entry to Year 2 of one of our BSc (Hons) registered nursing courses.
About the course
Nursing associates help bridge the gap between healthcare assistant and registered nurse. This practice-led course is aimed at healthcare assistants currently supporting registered nurses. Through study and work-based learning in a supportive environment, it develops your skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours so you can play an active part in improving people’s experience of healthcare.
Course accreditation
All our Nursing and Midwifery courses are regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
This course meets the requirements of the national Nursing Associate Training programme curriculum as well as the NHS Constitution.
Facilities and specialist equipment
- Access to the latest medical/health equipment and facilities at regional hospitals and community health settings during placements
- Fully immersive simulation suites at both our Luton and Bedford campuses, preparing students to respond to and manage clinical situations and scenarios
- Simulation wards with a range of medical-grade, high-fidelity training mannequins to tackle real-life scenarios in a safe and supported environment
Industry links
The curriculum has been developed by experienced nurses and is delivered in partnership with local employers and services.
Student experience
You learn through a combination of lectures and seminars, guided study and work-based learning.
We deliver predominantly face-to-face teaching so your tutors are on site to support you while you get to meet and exchange ideas with other healthcare students
Our lecturers are all experienced registered nurses and have published widely in their field.
Our strong links with regional healthcare providers mean you can secure a practice placement in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire.
Clinical specialists from our partnership trusts come to campus to support your learning so your studies are underpinned by the latest research and practice.
Benefit from the support of a practice mentor and a personal academic tutor.
On your placement, you undertake a mix of early, late and night shifts to ensure you experience typical shift patterns for a healthcare professional.
with Professional Practice Year
This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.
There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.
*Only available to UK/EU students.
with Foundation Year
A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.
Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.
With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.
The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.
This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.
Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?
- Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
- Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
- Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
- Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees
The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.
During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.
Studying our Nursing Associate Practitioner Foundation course will provide you with the specialist knowledge and skills to professionally practice compassionate, safe and effective care to monitor, protect and safeguard people in a range of settings. To equip you with the core clinical skills for nursing associates, you will be given an Introduction to Nursing Associate Interventions where you will develop your confidence in performing a range of interventions and procedures for patient care. In doing so, you will learn to use evidence-based and best practice approaches to consider both the physical and psychological wellbeing of patients. Building on this, you will learn to identify, monitor and provide patient-centred care based on individual needs in our Nursing Associate Interventions and Person-Centred Care unit.
You will then apply these skills to meet the health needs of patients and carers in our Application of Nursing Associate Theory and Practice unit. Here, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills for person-centred and holistic care for people from diverse backgrounds in workplace settings. This will allow you to be adaptable and flexible to meet the needs of different people through understanding their experiences and journeys through healthcare in our Integration of Nursing Associate Theory and Practice unit. With a focus on patient safety, you will examine the delivery and coordination of care as well as the healthcare policies and legislation that influence this. In addition, you will also develop the ability to safely administer medicines and educate others about the pharmacological aspects of care.
Combined with other components including life sciences, psychology and sociology present in our Understanding Health for Healthcare Practitioners unit, you will examine the structure and functions of a healthy body and mind to better understand people and the determinants of health and health inequalities. Aside from the clinical skills required of a nursing associate, it is essential that you develop the communication skills and professionalism to work in the field with colleagues and the general public. To help you with this, our unit in Consolidating Nursing Associate Practice will develop your ability to teach, advocate and support the development of the role of the nursing associate in the workplace for patients, carers and the public.
Shifting the focus from individual healthcare, our unit in Exploring Health and Primary Care Services in the Community will introduce you to principles of community healthcare and nursing associate practice in a primary care environment and how this interacts with other care settings. You will explore social, health and behaviour theory in out-of-hospital environments and analyse policies that influence the areas of community and primary care. This will have implications in your study of our unit in Public Health Principles and Practice for Nursing Associates where you will explore theory and policy around public health, health promotion and the prevention of ill health. With the community approach discussed in the unit above, you will explore the health needs of your chosen community and consider the application of public health principles in this setting.
The course assessment strategy is closely aligned to the teaching and learning strategy which is designed to have: immediate relevance to practice; draw on expertise-by-experience; foster active learning and be leaner-centred in approach. A distinct feature of the course is the range of assessment tasks including those that allow you to undertake workplace relevant assessments that can have an immediate impact in practice. Examples include: written assignments ranging from reflective pieces to academic essays culminating in a project at Foundation degree level assessed practice within your workplace; computer based examinations and oral presentations.
Your use of professional and theoretical literature will increase in complexity depth and breadth as you progress through the course. In the first year you will be expected to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the evidence-based literature and apply this to practice. In contrast the second year will demand deeper analysis and evaluation of the literature and its applications. For example you will develop your ability to study and practice more independently.
Careers
On completion of the Foundation degree you will be eligible to apply for nursing associate posts or Year 2 entry to one of our BSc (Hons) registered nursing courses (as long as you also meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council entry requirement).
Entry Requirements
- GCSE grade 4/Functional Skills Level 2 Maths
- Safeguarding checks, including an Enhanced DBS, and Occupational Health check are required
Entry Requirements
- GCSE grade 4/Functional Skills Level 2 Maths
- GCSE grade 4/Functional Skills Level 2 English
- Safeguarding checks, including an Enhanced DBS, and Occupational Health check are required
Entry Requirements
- GCSE grade 4/Functional Skills Level 2 Maths
- Safeguarding checks, including an Enhanced DBS, and Occupational Health check are required
Entry Requirements
- GCSE grade 4/Functional Skills Level 2 Maths
- GCSE grade 4/Functional Skills Level 2 English
- Safeguarding checks, including an Enhanced DBS, and Occupational Health check are required
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard fee for a Foundation Degree for the Academic Year 2026/27 is £9,535. These are the full course fees covering each year of study.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
International
International students cannot apply for Foundation Degrees.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard fee for a Foundation Degree for the Academic Year 2026/27 is £9,535. These are the full course fees covering each year of study.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
International
International students cannot apply for Foundation Degrees.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard fee for a Foundation Degree for the Academic Year 2026/27 is £9,535. These are the full course fees covering each year of study.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
International
International students cannot apply for Foundation Degrees.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard fee for a Foundation Degree for the Academic Year 2026/27 is £9,535. These are the full course fees covering each year of study.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
International
International students cannot apply for Foundation Degrees.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
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