The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has formally accepted to regulate the new nursing associate role.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt requested that the NMC regulate the role at the end of last year.
NMC chief executive and registrar Jackie Smith said that the 'Council recognised that there is strong support for the regulation of nursing associates and I have always maintained that the public would expect any role with nursing in the title to be regulated.'
She said that as an organisation they are 'well-equipped to regulate nursing associates and this is a positive endorsement of our progress'.
The NMC will work closely with stakeholders including the Department of Health and Health Education England (HEE) to 'ensure the successful development and implementation of this new role'.
Health minister Philip Dunne said: 'Robust professional regulation is important, so patients can continue to be confident they are receiving high quality care and I am delighted with today’s decision by the NMC.'
Professor Lisa Bayliss-Pratt, director of nursing/national deputy director of education and quality Health Education England welcomed the announcement.
'Our consultation showed that there was strong support for regulation and we have always been very clear that regulation is something that we are in favour of. The role will establish a clear pathway for aspiring nurses, through education and training and supported by regulation it will give confidence to patients and employers that it is an important part of the NHS workforce,' she added.
The HEE consultation into the role last year found that the majority of nurses wanted the nursing associate role to be regulated.
The nurse associate role will be introduced into the NHS later this year with the aim to bridge the gap between registered nurses and healthcare assistants.