{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,30]],"date-time":"2025-07-30T12:25:33Z","timestamp":1753878333826,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,16]],"date-time":"2025-06-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750032000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":15,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Int J of Nursing Practice"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>In 2016, a new role, the nursing associate, was implemented within the nursing workforce in England to support the shortfall of registered nurses and create a new pathway into nursing. This study aims to explore trainee nursing associates' lived experience to understand if the new role has been accepted and embedded in the nursing workforce.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Design<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study used a qualitative inductive phenomenological design. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist (COREQ) was adhered to in developing this paper.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Semi\u2010structured focus groups were conducted with participants completing their nursing associate programme in one higher education institute. Four focus groups with 14 participants occurred between June and November 2021. Thematic analysis was completed as described by Braun and Clarke from an inductive phenomenological perspective.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Four themes were identified: (1) new opportunities and knowledge; (2) academic and practice support; (3) pressure within clinical placements; and (4) the need for continued education and training.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>The new role has supported widening participation in higher education institutions and an affordable professional nursing pathway. However, challenges, such as a lack of understanding of the nursing associate role, remain in both clinical practice and higher education institutes. The development of the nursing associate role across specialities has commenced, which inevitably causes further confusion.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:label\/><jats:p>\n<jats:list list-type=\"simple\">\n\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>What is known about this topic?\n<jats:list list-type=\"bullet\">\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>A new role, the nursing associate, was implemented in England in 2016 to support the shortfall of registered nurses.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>Nursing associates are registered with the governing nursing body in England, the Nursing and Midwifery Council.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>The implementation of nursing associates has been challenging due to a lack of acceptance and understanding by healthcare professionals and the emerging ambiguity of responsibilities across specialities.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<\/jats:list><\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>What this paper adds?\n<jats:list list-type=\"bullet\">\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>The nursing associate role has widened participation in higher education and is an affordable professional nursing pathway.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>Challenges remain for trainee nursing associations in both clinical practice and higher education institutions, which need to be addressed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>The development of the nursing associate role across specialities has commenced, which inevitably is causing confusion.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<\/jats:list><\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>The implications of this paper:\n<jats:list list-type=\"bullet\">\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>The clinical identity of nursing associates needs to be further developed both across and within specialities.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>The responsibilities of nursing associates need to be further developed both across and within specialities.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<\/jats:list><\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<\/jats:list>\n<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/ijn.70030","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,16]],"date-time":"2025-06-16T13:40:43Z","timestamp":1750081243000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Lived Experience of Contemporary Trainee Nursing Associates: The Evolution of the New Role as a Pathway to Nursing. A Phenomenological Study"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"31","author":[{"given":"Shubhangi","family":"Sarwan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Ravensbury House Birmingham City University, City South Campus  Birmingham UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kathryn","family":"Sethi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Secole Building Birmingham City University, City South Campus  Birmingham UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Victoria","family":"Skerrett","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medical and Dental Sciences University of Birmingham, Edgbaston  Birmingham UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Samantha","family":"Peck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Ravensbury House Birmingham City University, City South Campus  Birmingham UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Katy","family":"Sutherland\u2010Hastings","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Ravensbury House Birmingham City University, City South Campus  Birmingham UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0325-2142","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joanne","family":"Brooke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Ravensbury House Birmingham City University, City South Campus  Birmingham UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jocn.15092OO"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","first-page":"35","article-title":"Pioneering New Roles in Healthcare: Nursing Associate Students' Experiences of Work\u2010Based Learning in the United Kingdom","volume":"9","author":"Attenborough J.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Work Based Learning e\u2010Journal International"},{"issue":"10","key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","first-page":"21","article-title":"Developing the Nursing Associate Role in Critical Care Units","volume":"115","author":"Bates L.","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nursing Times"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12875\u2010020\u201001318\u20103"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/0158037X.2017.1318540"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/QRJ\u201011\u20102013\u20100068"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7227\/JACE.21.2.7"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.12968\/bjha.2018.12.6.280"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.12968\/bjha.2018.12.7.356"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_12_1","unstructured":"Education and Skills Funding Agency.2021. \u201cApprenticeship Funding Rules and Guidance for Employers August 2020 to July 2021 Version 5.\u201d EFSA.https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/guidance\/apprenticeship\u2010funding\u2010rules."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14780887.2014.933918"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.12968\/bjha.2019.13.5.246"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/160940690400300104"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_16_1","unstructured":"Health Education England.2019. \u201cTrainee Nursing Associates Number Continue to Grow as Thousands More Train to Become Nursing Associates.\u201d Health Education England.http:\/\/hee.nhs.uk."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_17_1","unstructured":"Health Education England.2020. \u201cFrequently Asked Questions for Employers.\u201d Health Education England.https:\/\/www.hee.nhs.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/Nursing%20associates%20Frequently%20asked%20questions%20%28FAQs%29%20for%20employers.pdf."},{"volume-title":"Being and Time","year":"1962","author":"Heidegger M.","key":"e_1_2_10_18_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jan.14314"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_20_1","unstructured":"Kessler I. 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