NMC announce radical overhaul of nursing education

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is currently undertaking a radical review of nursing education. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to review the standards that all nursing students trained in the UK must meet before they can practise as a nurse. On 13 June 2017 the NMC launched a consultation on proposals for what the future of nursing education will look like and it’s vitally important that they hear the views of the public on these proposals.

Through the review they will be able to determine what the public will need from nurses and midwives in 2030. The consultations are now half way through and it is vitally important that we hear the views of everyone on what we propose. A shortened version of the consultation is available in an easy read format so that people with learning disabilities can share their views on the draft proficiencies for the future registered nurse. This short survey is intended to make responding to the consultation more accessible to a diverse range of people.

What is required of a nurse now is very different to what was required ten years ago and will be very different again in ten years’ time. Advancing technology, care in the community and a changing population all mean that care is being delivered differently.  Over the last six months we’ve travelled the length and breadth of the country talking to nurses, their employers, trade unions, students and educators to get their views on what tomorrow’s nurse looks like. We are now at the stage where we want to hear from patients and the public about the things that really matter to them and what they will want to see from the nurse of 2030.

The NMC’s consultation on the future nurse standards opened on 13 June and will run for 13 weeks. On our website you will find details of the consultation on our proposed standards of proficiency for the future registered nurse and our draft education framework. We are also proposing to make changes to prescribing standards and to withdraw our standards for medicines management.

ver the next few weeks, the NMC is running a series of engagement events across the four UK countries, as well as a number of webinars and twitter chats, open to anyone who would like to hear more or share their views. The events will be held in London, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Birmingham. Details of all events can be found on their website.

Staff Writer