Manx Care has said its withdrawal from a planned Nursing Associate course is to due the course being “not right” for it.
A Nursing Associate course is a two year Foundation Degree that trains healthcare professionals to bridge the gap between Healthcare Assistants and Registered Nurses.
The course would have allowed experienced healthcare support workers to progress within their careers.
Not Right
Manx Care says its service delivery model needs “two clear and distinct career pathways: one for Health Care Assistants and another for Registered Nurses”.
It believes that these two pathways “provide clarity, choice, and long-term sustainability for our health and care services”.
The Nursing Associate course would have been practical based and allowed Health Care Assistants to continue working whilst progressing within their careers.
Growth & Progression?
Several health care workers, and members of the general public have deemed this a “short-sighted” decision from Manx Care.
Although Manx Care says this approach ensures the workers within the health service are “supported with clear opportunities for growth and progression”.
In a statement to Manx.News, Manx Care said: “At Manx Care, we are very proud of the professional training and development programmes we offer for aspiring health and care professionals here on island. Our investment in the workforce of the future enables us to continue to deliver sustainable high-quality health and care services and focus on developing the skilled professionals that the Isle of Man needs in the years to come.
“The Nursing Associate role is not right for us. Our service delivery model needs two clear and distinct career pathways: one for Health Care Assistants and another for Registered Nurses. These two pathways provide clarity, choice, and long-term sustainability for our health and care services, and both Health Care Assistants and Registered Nurses play a vital role in delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
“This approach ensures our workforce is supported with clear opportunities for growth and progression. Manx Care is fortunate to have skilled and caring Health Care Assistants, who are dedicated to their patients, and proud of their role. We are investing in a robust competency framework that will support them to develop defined skills and support their career choices to either remain within this pathway or undertake further study to qualify as a Registered Nurse.
“For Registered Nurses, we will continue to support progression through structured opportunities for professional development, ensuring they can advance their careers and contribute to high-quality care.”
