My degree apprenticeship in nursing

To mark National Apprenticeship Week we are catching up with our amazing students and the incredible employers we work with. Here we chat to Cindy about her decision to start a degree apprenticeship and the experience so far. 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and provide a brief insight into the course you are studying.

My name is Cindy and I am currently studying the Level 6 Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship NDA Nurse Degree Apprenticeship, the final two-years of a four-year journey to becoming a Registered Nurse. I previously completed a two-year Level 5 Healthcare Assistant Practitioner Higher Apprenticeship at the University of Essex (Southend Campus), which included a Foundation Degree in Health Sciences.

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I started out as a carer in the community, moving on to working in a care home. I loved working in care and was always inspired by the nurses that I met along the way. I started on my NVQs Level 3 and 5 and then made the jump to work for the NHS, working in District Nursing. My manager recommended me for the apprenticeship programme and that is where I am now, very much on my way to achieving my lifelong dream of being a nurse.

What kind of Learning Support have you accessed during your studies? How do you think this has made a difference to your course?

Firstly, the most important part of the support I have received is being diagnosed, I would not have been able to afford this diagnosis by myself. Being diagnosed has been extremely empowering because it has helped me understand that I am not stupid or understand less than others. I simply have a different way of learning which includes some fantastic strengths as well as some difficulties that can be overcome with the right approach.

I have been granted extra time in exams and have used every extra minute granted, this gives me the chance to read a question multiple times, so I don’t miss anything out or misunderstand the question.

My essays are not marked down for spelling and grammar, this helps me to concentrate on the essay itself and do the best I can without added stress. When my essays are marked, I will still be given feedback on my grammar and spelling, and this helps me to improve along the way.

I am able to access additional support such as study skills courses and can contact the lecturers who can offer advice and point me in the right direction to get further help.

What made you decide to take the Degree Apprenticeship route? Have you found anything particularly rewarding about this pathway?

I had been thinking about how I could become a Nurse for a long time but there were no suitable options for me. I have three children and a very busy life, and I needed something that could in some way mould with the crazy life I have. I am loving studying on the apprenticeship, I won’t say it has been easy. I think any degree programme is going to take hard work and commitment but being able learn and then immediately put that learning into practice in my job helps to really lock in the knowledge I have gained.

One of the many positives of the programme is the staff who run it, they have been very supportive, and I feel that they have taught me all I need to pass the programme and so much more, to enable me to be an effective, kind and safe nurse.

How do you think the apprenticeship has enabled you to progress in your chosen career? Has having access to Learning Support impacted your career outside of your studies at all?

The apprenticeship programme is for me the only way I was going to become a Nurse as other options were not financially viable. The experience itself has been a real roller coaster, that while at times was very scary, it has also been the most fantastic journey. It has taken me out of my comfort zone and honestly changed me as a person because it has proved to me that I can do whatever I want and that is incredibly empowering.

Being diagnosed as Dyslexic has also helped me in my role at work as they have also implemented some of the support recommended in my learning needs assessment provided by the university.

Do you have any tips or advice that you would give to those considering doing an apprenticeship? What about apprentices/potential apprentices with accessibility needs in particular?

Honestly, it’s a great course that is well designed and there is so much help and support available whether a person has any specific needs or if they have just been out of the classroom for a long time. The apprenticeship course gave me a safe place to be vulnerable and excellent teaching to help be become more confident. That may sound cheesy, but this experience has been a life changing positive experience for me and I am so glad I decided to be part of it. What advice would I give? Well, the very first thing would be… apply and get stuck in, its great!

More information

See our Degree Apprenticeship pages