Registered Nursing Associates

The Nursing Associate role was introduced in 2017 and is a generic nursing role that bridges the gap between healthcare support workers and Registered Nurses, to deliver hands-on, person-centred care as part of a multidisciplinary team in a range of different health and social care settings (NHS Employers, 2023). The role was introduced in response to the Shape of Caring Review (2015), to help build the capacity of the nursing workforce and the delivery of high-quality care.

Below you will find guidance and competences relating to the RNA role in critical care:

CC3N Best Practice Guidelines Registered Nursing Associates (NAR) in Adult Critical Care Units ​(2024)

National Competency Framework for Registered Nursing Associates in Adult Critical Care V.2 (2024)
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There is more general information available on the  Nursing, Midwifery Council website, the professional body responsible for regulating Nursing Associates.
NMC Website 

Resources 

 
Nursing associates 6 years on: A review of the literature - Thurgate - 2023 - Journal of Clinical Nursing - Wiley Online Library
 
Regulation and the scope of practice of the RNA role. | British Journal of Nursing | EBSCOhost
 
The registered nursing associate: an overview - PubMed (nih.gov)
 
Nursing Associates - The Nursing and Midwifery Council (nmc.org.uk)
 
Blog: Role differences between nursing associates and nurses - The Nursing and Midwifery Council (nmc.org.uk)
 
nursing-associates-proficiency-standards.pdf (nmc.org.uk)
 
Registered nurse substitution | Professional Nursing | Royal College of Nursing (rcn.org.uk)