Celebrating our outstanding nursing associates
Last month, colleagues from across the hospital gathered to celebrate the invaluable contribution of our nursing associate workforce.
Registered Nursing Associates (RNAs) play a pivotal role within the nursing team in England, bridging the gap between health and care assistants and registered nurses. Working with people of all ages in diverse health and social care settings, they contribute to core nursing work, enabling registered nurses to focus on more complex clinical care.
The RNA role is both stand-alone role and a stepping stone to graduate-level nursing, with all RNAs registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
At St Bartholomew’s Hospital, the Registered Nursing Associate Programme has been in place since 2018, following a two-year pilot. To date, 44 students have completed the course, with around a quarter progressing to complete registered nurse degrees.
In December we held a special event in our West Wing Conference Room to recognise the positive impact of our student and registered nursing associates on patients and teams. The event provided an opportunity to share feedback about their experiences in this relatively new healthcare role and to network with colleagues.
Feedback from across the hospital was overwhelmingly positive. One team member praised a nursing associate in the high dependency unit as “keen to learn and willing to help” and described them as "a very valuable member of the team". Another highlighted how nursing associates contribute by "ensuring that the fundamentals of nursing care are delivered to a high standard for less acute patients".
A colleague shared glowing feedback about a nursing associate working as an imaging assistant in the breast network, saying: "She has been outstanding, displaying the organisation’s values while working with both the team and patients. We are proud of her!"
Among the inspiring stories shared during the event was that of Tambudzayi Madakudya. Tambu joined the hospital in 2016 as a healthcare assistant in the haematological cancer ward. In 2019, she successfully secured a place on a funded apprenticeship, completing the programme and registering as a nursing associate in 2021.
Since then, Tambu has flourished with the support of her ward manager, taking on the role of a nutrition link nurse to ensure patients’ nutritional needs are met consistently. Her dedication and achievements were recognised last year when she was named one of the Royal College of Nursing’s Rising Stars.
Our Associate Director of Nursing, Sam Philpott-Jones (pictured right with Tambu), who oversees the programme, said: "The nursing associate role has become an essential part of our team, ensuring patients receive outstanding care while supporting the development of our future registered nurses. Although still relatively new and not yet widely understood across the hospital, this role is making a real difference. Celebrating the achievements of our RNAs, like Tambu, is vital in raising awareness and showcasing the transformative impact they have on patient care and career progression."
If you work at Barts Health and would like to learn more about the RNA role and how it could benefit your department, please get in touch with Sam.
Our next nursing associate forum will take place from 3-4.30pm on Monday 24 March in the West Wing Conference Room. All student and registered nursing associates are encouraged to attend alongside their managers to discuss the benefits and challenges of the role, and to help inform the ongoing quality improvement project.
Read more