Our response to the NMC practice learning consultation

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) are reviewing practice learning for nursing, midwifery and nursing associate students. The review aims to ensure students continue to develop the evidence-based knowledge and skills, and adopt the behaviours they need, in safe, inclusive practice learning environments. 

Key points from our response

To inform our response, we gathered feedback from employers across the NHS through a range of engagement methods, including a survey and input from our employer networks. 

• Reduction in nursing practice hours 

  Employers questioned the rationale behind reducing programme hours for nursing from 4,600 to 3,600 and called for greater clarity on the proposal. They wanted to understand what would be removed from the existing programme of learning, what would change, and how new approaches would support student learning before they could form a clear view on this proposal. More detailed information about the proposed changes would enable organisations and individuals to fully evaluate the potential impact.    

  Some employers also expressed concerns about reducing nursing practice hours without addressing the consistency in quality of teaching. 

• Community-based practice learning 

  Employers supported expanding the range of placement opportunities beyond the NHS into social care, the voluntary sector and independent sector settings. Employers agreed that all students must undertake at least one community-based placement, and some stressed that students would benefit from more than one placement to support the shift from hospital-based to community-based care. They felt this would help with the co-ordination of managing the range of clinical placements. Our response also highlighted the importance of exposing students to a range of settings, enabling them to better understand modern health and care challenges and the complexity of care. 

• Simulated practice learning

  Employers agreed that simulation should contribute towards practice learning hours in pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes. However, this cannot be used as an adequate substitution for real face-to-face contact and learning opportunities and therefore needs to have a clear limit on simulated practice.

• Midwifery programmes

  Employers agreed that midwifery students should complete a placement during the final stage of their pre-registration programme. However, employers raised concerns about extending pre-registration midwifery programmes from three to four years without a clear rationale and the financial impact this could potentially have on attracting and retaining students.

Visit the NMC website for more information on the consultation.