From 9th April The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has been supporting new flexibilities for Registered Nurse (RN) Degree Apprentices and Nursing Associate (NA) Apprentices that were due to complete End Point Assessment (EPA) this summer, but due to Covid-19 had been unable to take their EPA.
The new flexibilities have meant that for those apprentices who meet the requirements they will be regarded as having met the End Point Assessment (EPA) and have achieved their apprenticeship.
The success of the Covid-19 EPA flexibility can be seen across many organisations, see below
Teesside Univerity
- 62 Nursing Associate Apprentices will now able to achieve their apprenticeship, with a further 20 apprentices due to benefit from the EPA flexibilities next month.
University of Essex, School of Health and Social Care
- a group of 24 Nurse Degree Apprenticeship students, in the past 2 weeks, have all completed the programme, been through the exam board and have completed their apprenticeships under the changed EPA and have NMC Registration.
Portsmouth University Hospitals
- an additional 14 Nursing Associates are now part of their workforce as a result of the changes. These 14 would have been waiting for up to 3 months to start in their Band 4 posts without the changes.
East Kent Foundation Trust
- 10 Nursing Associates and Assistant Practitioners will hopefully be signed off this month.
All of the above apprentices plus many more will now be able to enter the workforce, and add their vital contribution to the NHS due to the EPA flexibilities.