The NMC Asks: What Does The Future Hold For Nursing Education? UK

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 02 Nov 2007 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

The Nursing and Midwifery Council, the UK regulator for nurses and midwives, will today launch a consultation as part of its review of pre-registration nursing education.

Titled, 'A Review of Pre-Registration Nursing Education', the consultation explores key principles such as whether nurses should be generalists or specialists, if they should be graduates, and how much of their training should be conducted in the community. It also looks whether to maintain the branch-based training structure and explores how new qualifiers might consolidate their knowledge and skills in practice.

"The aim of this project is to establish how we can ensure nurse training is safe, effective and fit for purpose in a changing healthcare environment marked by an ageing population, advances in technology and changes to the way in which services are provided," said Sarah Thewlis, NMC Chief Executive Officer and Registrar.

"The NMC has already been working with key stakeholders across the four UK countries who have helped in framing the consultation. We are now hoping that a wide range of organisations and individuals will respond to the review, and would encourage everyone from commissioners, education providers, professionals, students and service users to participate," she said.

The survey, available via post and online, will be complemented by a series of focus groups held throughout the UK.

The consultation is forward thinking and asks contributors to consider how nurses should be equipped for the future, rather than focusing on the here and now.

To assist with this, the NMC commissioned the University of Glamorgan to undertake an independent policy review, 'Nursing: Towards 2015', which explores possible healthcare scenarios and aims to encourage future-focused thought and debate.

This document, along with the survey is available on the NMC website (http://www.nmc-uk.org) until 8 February 2008.

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.

Nursing and Midwifery Council

• Additional
• References
• Citations