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Healthcare Support Workers and Nursing Apprenticeship routes

Healthcare Support Workers

As a Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW), you will be a valued member of your team. Your focus will be on keeping patients at the centre of all we do, providing high quality care and living our Trust values: Together – Safe | Kind | Excellent.

Our Healthcare Support Workers fall into three groups: 

  • Healthcare Support Workers (HCSW) – this is the largest group of clinical support workers. HCSWs provide assistance to nurses and doctors in wards and clinics across the Trust.
  • Theatre Support Workers (TSW) –  work alongside theatre staff before, during and after operations.
  • Maternity Care Assistants (MCA) – work in the Rosie Maternity Hospital. The main focus of their role is around helping women before and after giving birth.

Whichever group you work in, you will live up to and promote our culture of compassionate care, built on care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment.

Progression to a Band 3 Healthcare Support Worker is available within the Trust by completion of required competencies. To find out more please contact careteam@addenbrookes.nhs.uk

Although it is hard work, you will be part of a supportive team. Our hospital could not run without our healthcare support workers. At CUH we work hard to ensure that your role is rewarding and valued.

To find out more about what to expect from the Healthcare Support Worker role you can explore the links at the top of this page. It is important to have a good understanding of this role as it is also the starting point of an apprenticeship should you choose one.

HCA with patient HCSW standing with patient
HCA with patient HCSW standing with patient

Apprenticeship Nursing Associate

Nursing associate is a new role within the nursing team. Nursing associates work with healthcare support workers and registered nurses to deliver care for patients. It can also be a stepping stone to becoming a registered nurse. Nursing associates work across all four fields of nursing: adult, children’s, mental health, and learning disabilities. Your skills and responsibilities will vary, depending on the clinical area you work in.

This apprenticeship lasts 24 months and will lead to a band 4 registered nursing associate role within your chosen area of practice at CUH. You will qualify with a level 5 Foundation Degree and the Trust will support you should you wish to undertake further study to become a registered nurse. You will work for 60% of your time in clinical practice and will be released for your studies for the remaining time. The trust has a dedicated team of nurse educators who will support you with both your clinical and academic workloads and will work with you to ensure you get the most out of your time as an apprentice with us.

For further information on the Apprenticeship Nursing Associate route click here

Nursing Apprenticeship

The award winning Nursing Apprenticeship Pathway lets you study with Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) while employed at Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH), Addenbrooke’s Hospital, as a Nursing Degree Apprentice.

As an Apprentice Nurse you will combine academic and work-based learning. You receive paid study time to attend university and your course fees are paid by CUH.

You can earn, learn and be free from university debt!

You will be fully supported both professionally and academically to achieve your Nursing Degree by our Clinical Education and Nursing Apprenticeship team alongside your university tutors.

You will obtain a Nursing degree and a professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC).

On successful completion of your studies you are guaranteed a newly qualified RN position here at CUH.

We are looking for people from all kinds of backgrounds and age ranges who have a desire to make a difference to patients and carers, and who can be committed to the CUH values: Together, safe, kind and excellent. Your role starting as a Healthcare Support Worker provides a pivotal and hands-on role delivering patient care in the Trust.

It isn’t a 9 to 5 job; you will work on a rota, on shift patterns that will include days, nights and weekends. This ensures you learn how to provide care as our patients’ needs change across a normal day. Your study time will be on fixed days.

For further information on the Nursing Apprenticeship route click here

We have vacancies!

NAP UL G6
Urszula Lato, Nursing Apprentice