Implementation of post-registration standards

In 2022, we published new post registration standards for specialist community public health nurses (SCPHNs) and community nursing specialist practice qualifications (SPQs), as well as associated programme standards. This completed our education programme which we began in 2016 to modernise all our standards of proficiency.

These standards are particularly focused on the additional knowledge and skills that nurses need to provide specialist care and support for people in their own homes and communities, and on the influence that specialist nursing can have on the health of populations.

They set a consistent level of knowledge and skills, and assure a quality of educational preparation that will enable SCPHN and SPQ nurses to independently meet more of the needs of the people they serve. Those people will then be assured of the knowledge and skill of the person looking after them, because professionals will have a qualification which can be seen on our register.

The standards also include the knowledge and skills needed to prepare these professionals to develop their careers further, to become the leaders, educators and researchers of the future.

We’ve carried out a range of activities since 2022 to raise awareness and support educators, students, practice learning partners and professionals to use the new standards. This document sets out the events, webinars, visits and other engagement we’ve done through the four countries of the UK.

Read the standards and view some of the supporting webinars on our website.
Implementation of post-registration standards