Cygnet have identified a group of 21 rising stars who have worked for the organisation for many years as support workers and have now been given the opportunity to work with the University towards their Nursing Associate qualification.
“I have wanted to do my nurse training for many years, but have had to wait due to family commitments and financial constraints. I am at a point now where I am ready to take on new learning experiences and push myself to become the best I can be. I feel I’m ready to take the next step towards my goal.”Rebecca, Nursing Associate Apprentice
Nursing Associates are an important part of Cygnet’s strategy to simultaneously provide greater development opportunities for their Support Workers, while also further improving the support they provide for the individuals in their care. Upon completion of the two-year Nursing Associate course, the programme participants will continue studying and working for a further two years to become Registered Nurses.
The Cygnet programme follows a successful trial run by Health Education England in the NHS, where pilot schemes have resulted in a commitment to train a further 12,500 Nurse Associates over the next two years.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to begin to increase my skillset and levels of responsibility to make more of a difference, both as a member of the team and for the lives of those in my care.”Chris, Nursing Associate Apprentice
The Bespoke Cygnet programme takes the form of an apprenticeship, where the participants work in our hospitals, for a minimum of 30 hours a week, and spend one day a week with the rest of the group studying and being supported by Lecturers from the University of Wolverhampton.
“We’re so excited to be able to contribute to reducing the nurse shortage, while at the same time helping our most dedicated and motivated Support Workers in their own professional development, and providing the individuals in our care with a fantastic team of professionals to support them. We hope this will be the first of many groups to go through the programme.”Mandy Blanchard, Head of Learning & Development
Cygnet have a dedicated Apprentice Manager to support the team throughout the course, and are confident that the apprentices will go all the way. The programme builds on the current Preceptorship scheme that supports newly qualified nurses in their first year of practice, a scheme that Cygnet have had excellent feedback on.