Meeting changing service need through role development: a case study for Band 4 assistant practitioners

To debate the evolution of the Assistant Practitioner (AP) role and its impact on workforce development and Higher Education provision.

The Band 4, AP, has been identified in England as a means for supporting Registered Nurses and enhancing patient care. However, the education and training of Band 4 AP requires new ways of partnership working between Trusts and Higher Education Institutions (HIEs) to ensure that programmes reflect employers needs and that the AP is fit for purpose.

This case study focuses on the first cohort of 13 students who were supported by a local NHS Trust to undertake a Foundation Degree (FD) in Health and Social Care (Adult Care).

Issues include: supporting the clinical development for new roles, role boundaries, regulation of APs and supervision in training/education.

There is a need for regulation and understanding of role boundaries, shared learning and development of new ways of working which HEIs need to consider in the next decade.

Nurse managers need to consider skill mix and challenge established clinical roles. There is a need for FD students to be supernumerary and provided with effective support while undertaking work-based learning.