Our standards for student supervision and assessment have been in effect since 28 January 2019.
These standards set out the roles and responsibilities of practice supervisors and assessors, and how they must make sure students receive high-quality learning, support and supervision during their practice placements.
They also set our expectations for the learning, support and supervision of students in the practice environment. As well as setting out how students are assessed for theory and practice learning.
Practice supervisors and assessors should use these standards to ensure the best possible learning experience for students.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to email us.
Why are our standards important
Our standards aim to give approved education institutions and practice learning partners the flexibility to develop creative approaches to education. While still being accountable for the local delivery and management of approved programmes in line with our standards.
Our standards also help create a high-quality practice learning environment that’s essential for students to learn, develop and get the experience they need to deliver safe, effective and inclusive care.
Our standards framework
The structure of our standards follow the students journey through their education:
- Effective practice learning
Find out what needs to be in place to deliver safe and effective learning experiences for nursing and midwifery students in practice. - Supervision of students
Read about the principles of student supervision in the practice environment and the role of the practice supervisor. - Assessment of students and confirmation of proficiency
Understand what we require from educators who are assessing and confirming students’ practice and academic achievement. In this section we also describe the roles of the practice assessor and academic assessor.
How to use our education standards
It's important to read these standards along with the other parts of Realising professionalism: Standards for education and training:
Part three will depend on the programme being taught:
Reading these together will provide you with a complete picture of:
- what nurses, midwives and nursing associates need to know and be able to do, by the time they register with us
- our expectations of education institutions and their practice learning partners for delivering NMC-approved programmes for nurses, midwives and nursing associates.
Supporting information on standards for student supervision and assessment.
These pages contain the supporting information for all our new standards relating to student supervision and assessment. This information is updated regularly.
Our guidance sets out possible ways that our standards may be met but it’s not a series of standards and expectations for what ‘must’ be done. Our standards can be met in other ways, as long as they’re fulfilled, upholds public protection and supports students to meet their learning outcomes and our standards.
Visit our Supporting information on standards for student supervision and assessment hub
Our practice learning scenarios can help you understand how our new standards of proficiency will work and should be implemented in the real world.
Explore our practice environment case scenarios for nursing programmes
How our standards were developed
We developed these standards with input from stakeholders across the UK.
We put our proposals to consultation in summer 2017. We listened closely to the feedback we received and made positive changes to the standards as a result
Find out more about how the standards were developed.
Our SSSA webinar
This webinar will help you learn more about the SSSA: how they support students to meet their standards of proficiency, and to deliver safe and effective care.
