Recognising The Skills Of Sexual Health Advisers, UK

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 03 Oct 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has released the criteria for nurses working as sexual health advisers to register as specialist community public health nurses.

The NMC is the UK regulator for two professions, nursing and midwifery. The primary purpose of the NMC is to protect the public. It does this through the maintenance of a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses elibible to practise within the UK and by setting standards for their education, training and conduct.

Specialist community public health nursing aims to reduce health inequalities by working with individuals, families and communities to promote health and prevent ill health. Registrants working within this category include school nurses, health visitors and occupational health nurses.

The new move was developed in collaboration with the Society of Sexual Health Advisors, the Department of Health, the Health Professions Council and the UK Voluntary Register for Public Health Specialists.

"Sexual health advisers play an integral part in the provision of health services to communities. Recognising their specialist skills by enabling them to practise under the third part of the register will ensure high standards of practise and certainly strengthens what is a diverse and emerging part of nursing," said Julie Matthews, NMC Professional Adviser in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing.

Nurses or midwives working as sexual health advisers wishing apply for migration to the SCPHN section of the register may do so by downloading the application pack which will be available on the NMC website (http://www.nmc-uk.org) from October this year until December 2009.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the UK regulator for two professions, nursing and midwifery. The primary purpose of the NMC is protection of the public. It does this through maintaining a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses eligible to practise within the UK and by setting standards for their education, training and conduct. Currently the number of registrants exceeds 682,000. The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (The Order), sets out the NMC's role and responsibilities.

http://www.nmc-uk.org