Supporting nursing degree apprentices: advice for higher education institutions and employers.

Abstract

A nursing degree apprenticeship offers an alternative route into nursing from the traditional preregistration nurse education programme by enabling apprentice employees to work and study at the same time. This route could address some of the issues associated with attrition from preregistration nurse education programmes, such as financial challenges. However, nursing degree apprentices may experience other challenges, for example suboptimal work-life-study balance and inadequate support from employers and higher education institutions (HEIs), resulting in dissatisfaction with or non-completion of their apprenticeship programme. This article examines some of the literature on apprenticeships and suggests ways in which employers, HEIs and nursing degree apprentices can work together to improve the apprenticeship experience.