The future of nursing and midwifery is in your hands

The role of the steering group is to discuss and consider evidence as part of this review – helping to shape options and recommendations before they are submitted to the NMC’s governing Council for consideration.

I was appointed as the independent Chair of this NMC review in April 2024, just after I retired as the Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland. By way of background, I have been a registered nurse for 40 years and I believe that it is one of the greatest professions – offering graduates a world of opportunity.

The steering group that I chair is made up of key stakeholders across the four countries of the UK, not just nurses and midwives, but also the public, people who use services, and crucially, students. The group has been a key vehicle for reviewing, analysing and advising on what we collectively think are the main drivers for change in the quality of practice learning, and the way in which students are allocated practice learning placements.

What became really clear to us, was that there isn’t just one area where practice learning and placements could be improved – there are multiple. These range from areas both within and outside of the NMC’s remit, including how students are allocated to a practice learning placement, travel, financial pressures, the academic rigour of their programme and the support that they receive during their practice learning placement. Other issues also include reasonable adjustments – by that we mean, how those with neurological, psychological and physical needs are supported, both in university and in a practice learning placement. Often, these aren’t well identified in advance of a student starting their programme, and can lead to challenges for the student and those in the practice learning environment.

I know it will be impossible to fix these issues all at once for every single nursing and midwifery student, but we need to make improvements. We started this review with an aim to produce even more confident and competent practitioners. But having looked at the evidence and after engaging with students, professionals, educators, stakeholders, and the public, we found that the quality of practice learning placements, and the support offered is too variable and can be poor. But equally, there are many areas that provide excellent support to students. One thing we need to do, is learn from these areas and share good practice.

There is a clear need for NHS trusts and boards, approved education institutions and governments across the four countries, to work with the NMC to ensure that we deliver on the initial aim of this review – to improve nursing and midwifery practice learning. Following more than 25 engagement events with more than 1,250 people, and from the evidence and research I have seen, I think the current model could be better. And if the educational practice learning standards aren’t adequate, we need to address these at the same time. There is no point in only changing one element.

Some will see this consultation, including some of the comments above which are based on research, evidence and stories I have heard as part of the review, difficult and thought provoking. I see that as a good thing. It’s incumbent on all of us to express our views and help shape the changes required – not only to provide good quality practice learning placements for all, but to ensure that at the point of registration, our future professionals are even more competent and confident to practise, and to do what we all expect –  deliver the safest and highest quality of care they can.

Please take some time to read the consultation document, share it with your family, friends and colleagues, encourage them to respond, and to respond yourself. The future of nursing and midwifery is in your hands.

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