Nursing courses at the University of Winchester are shortlisted for awards in three categories in the 2026 Student Nursing Times Awards.
The Nursing Associate Foundation Degree Apprenticeship programme is in the running for the following awards:
The Nursing Associate programme is a two-year, NMC-approved Level 5 foundation degree designed to prepare new and existing healthcare staff to become competent, confident Registered Nursing Associates.
Penny Marsh, Senior Lecturer in Nursing (Nursing Associate Apprenticeship), said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for these awards which not only recognise our creative teaching but also highlight the importance of apprenticeships which are all about widening participation in higher education.”
Widening the number of partner organisations had also helped Nursing Associate programme, explained Penny, by enriching learning opportunities and supporting workforce development.
Winchester has reached out beyond hospitals and GP practices to hospices, nursing homes, mental health facilities and research organisations whose staff are encouraged to share their expertise with students.
“When you can draw on that huge pool of experience and knowledge and put it into the classroom you can bring the curriculum to life,” said Penny.
Penny Marsh, Senior Lecturer in Nursing (Nursing Associate Apprenticeship) with students
The programme is recognised for its strong organisation, supportive staff relationships, and engaging learning that builds confidence. Apprentices feel known, valued, and prepared.
Sector-leading high-fidelity and digital simulation within advanced simulated ward spaces (pictured top) that mirror real clinical settings.
At Winchester, the NA programme integrates sector-leading high-fidelity and digital simulation within advanced simulated ward spaces that mirror real clinical settings.
Using automated mannequins and technology-enhanced environments, students take part in immersive scenarios designed to enhance leadership, prioritisation, communication and clinical decision-making.
The programme also actively champions dementia education, older people’s nursing, and social care, addressing well-documented gaps in training in these areas.
One student reflected: “I now speak up for patients who might not be able to speak for themselves.”
At Winchester, student experience is understood as central to retention, progression, and professional confidence. This is particularly important the learners balance academic study alongside employment, placement demands, and personal responsibilities.
The programme prioritises organisation, relational support, and meaningful learning, creating an environment in which students feel valued, capable, and motivated to continue through to graduation.
Across the programme, learning is designed to build confidence through structure, repetition, and supported challenge. Feeling competent, useful, and acknowledged strengthens students’ commitment to remaining on programme.
Students also describe how learning encourages them to question practice and develop a professional voice: “It just helped with me kind of asking the questions. But why? What makes this normal behaviour for that person?”
Staff, students and employer partners at the University's pioneering Fitness to Practise simulation day
The University of Winchester has developed a pioneering Fitness to Practise simulation day that transforms how Nursing Associate apprentices learn about professional accountability.
Using a realistic tribunal setting, role-play, legal guidance, and collaboration with practice partners, students experience the regulatory process first-hand rather than learning about it in theory.
The simulation plays out a hearing into a nurse accused of making a medication error compounded by having ‘pre-written’ her patient notes.
Learners act as tribunal panel members, question witnesses, weigh evidence, and justify professional decisions before reflecting on real-world context.
Employer partners are also invited to take part in the exercise.
This non-digital, immersive approach builds confidence, judgement, and professional identity. As one student reflected, “I am so privileged to be a part of this important simulation program which will help me all my life.”
Watch this video to find out more about the University of Winchester’s Nursing Associate course.
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