A Mixed Methods Evaluation of Nursing Associates
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Mixed Methods Realist Evaluation to Understand the Integration of Nursing Associates in Adult Secondary Care (INSERT)
IRAS ID
348128
Contact name
Zoe Anchors
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of the West of England
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
11592, Research Registry
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 5 months, 29 days
Research summary
Patients’ need for clinical care is on the rise, but there is currently a shortage of nurses in hospitals. We are also expecting fewer nurses to be available in the future. To increase nursing capacity, a new role has been introduced called the Nursing Associate (NA). NAs can free up nurses’ time to provide care for complex patients. With training, NAs may progress to become registered nurses. Introducing this new role within healthcare will likely have an impact on how the team works and possibly impact quality and safety of care. Research that has been conducted does not provide answers on what the impact of the NA role is or how to introduce this role smoothly. This study aims to investigate how the NA role is embedded in hospitals and its impact on outcomes. This research will:
• Highlight hospitals and regions in England embedding the NA role.
• Explain how NAs work within different teams/clinical situations.
• Evaluate different ways in which NAs work, affect patients’ care and safety, the dynamics of healthcare teams and the use of healthcare services.
To achieve these objectives, the study includes three Work Packages (WPs)
• Work Package 1 (WP1): Analyses NHS workforce data to track NA recruitment across different hospital types and communities.• Work Package 2 (WP2): Reviews existing research on how NAs operate in clinical settings and gathers feedback from stakeholders.
• Work Package 3 (WP3): Partners with four NHS hospital trusts to link staff data with workforce outcomes and conducts interviews with patients, carers, and staff.
As patients’ satisfaction with healthcare services is currently at an all-time low, and they are waiting longer to receive care, it is important to conduct research that could provide answers on potential solutions. This study will help hospitals use NAs more efficiently and reassure patients and their carers about the current and future quality of healthcare in England.
REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0896
Date of REC Opinion
29 Jan 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion