A south Bucks university is set to be one of the first in the country to deliver registered nurse degree apprenticeships.

The degree apprenticeship at Bucks New University, which will welcome its first cohort on March next year, will support employers to develop their nursing or healthcare staff towards registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council – as either adult, child or mental health nurses.

Karen Buckwell-Nutt, head of school of pre-qualifying nursing and vocational healthcare, said: “It’s exciting that we are now in a position, after a lot of hard work, to provide more people with higher education through an ‘earn as you learn’ alternative to our traditional degree programme. 

“This option will offer a clear and structured career progression not only to those who already work within healthcare, whether that be the NHS, care homes or the community, but for those wishing to start their career.”

University bosses said they are talking to several NHS trusts and private healthcare providers – such as nursing homes, rehabilitation centres, private hospitals and hospices – about delivering their apprenticeships.

The apprenticeship route includes the ALERT programme (Acute Life-Threatening Events Recognition and Treatment) in all fields, like the university’s traditional nursing degrees.

Ms Buckwell-Nutt added: “Nursing apprenticeships mean organisations can take advantage of the levy, develop staff, as well as using it as a recruitment tool. 

“All this will not only benefit the organisation but also improve the experience of patients and service users.”