NMC consultation on nursing and midwifery practice learning

The proposals follow extensive engagement and research carried out over recent years. This work highlighted wide variation in students’ practice learning experiences and concerns about whether current programmes consistently prepare graduates with the confidence and competence needed for practice.

Purpose of the consultation

The NMC is consulting on changes to education and training standards to improve the quality, consistency and inclusivity of practice learning for nurses, nursing associates and midwives. 

Practice learning makes up 50 per cent of pre‑registration programmes, but: 

• quality and consistency of placements vary widely 

• students report pressure to complete hours rather than meaningful learning 

• there are persistent issues with supervision quality, reasonable adjustments, EDI, travel and cost pressures 

• leaving the EU has given the NMC more flexibility to set its own standards, prompting this review.  

The NMC has undertaken independent research by the Nuffield Trust and Florence Nightingale Foundation and held large scale engagement with over 1,250 stakeholders and students across 25 UK wide events. They are now proposing suggested changes to ensure students qualify as confident, competent and safe professionals, while better reflecting modern health and social care, workforce pressures and equality considerations.

Key proposals 

The consultation sets out a number of headline proposals, including:

• Reducing the minimum length of pre-registration nursing programmes from 4,600 to 3,600, moving away from an hours based model towards a stronger focus on the quality of practice learning experiences. 
• Extending pre-registration midwifery programmes from three to four years reflecting feedback about the intensity of current programmes and concerns raised through recent maternity inquiries. 
• Strengthening expectations around equality, diversity and inclusion including increased emphasis on anti racism, bias awareness, cultural curiosity, and psychological safety within education and practice learning environments.
• Changes to nursing associate programme requirements including reducing hours to a minimum of 2,300 hours, rather than linking them directly to nursing programme length.
• Community practice learning experiences in health and social care would be required for all nursing students.

NHS organisations are encouraged to consider how these proposals may impact clinical teams, educators, supervisors and students, as well as the long term sustainability of the nursing and midwifery workforce.