Our Standards framework for nursing and midwifery education applies to all Approved Education Institutions (AEIs) and their practice learning partners that are running NMC approved programmes.
Article 15(1) of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (‘the Order’)2 requires the Council to establish standards for education and training which are necessary to achieve the standards of proficiency for admission to the register, as required by Article 5(2) of the Order. The Standards framework for nursing and midwifery education is established under the provision of Article 15(1) of the Order.
These standards aim to provide AEIs and practice learning partners with the flexibility to develop innovative approaches to all education for nurses, midwives and nursing associates, while being accountable for the local delivery and management of approved programmes in line with our standards. Pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes and post-registration programmes may offer various academic and flexible routes to registration and annotation when seeking approval in line with our standards.
These standards should be read with the Standards for student supervision and assessment, and the programme standards which are specific for each pre-registration and post-registration educational programme. Together these are the NMC standards for education and training for the nursing and midwifery professions. Education institutions must be approved against these standards to run any NMC approved programmes.
AEIs are responsible for working with practice learning partners to manage the quality of their educational programmes. Overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the quality of any educational programme lies with an AEI in partnership with practice learning partners who provide opportunities for practice experience to nursing and midwifery students. Before a programme can be run, an approval process takes place through which we check that the proposed programme meets our standards.
Public safety is central to our standards. Students will be in contact with people throughout their education and it’s important that they learn in a safe and effective way.
Through our quality assurance processes we check that education programmes meet our standards, and that education institutions and practice learning partners are managing risks effectively. Using internal and external intelligence we monitor risks to quality in education and training; this intelligence gathering includes analysis of system regulator reports.
Approved education providers are monitored and we have processes for collecting, analysing and responding to any risk intelligence we receive regarding educational programmes, including concerns raised with us directly by students. Approved education providers are also required to self-report any risks or concerns that could affect the quality of programme delivery and, therefore, public protection.
We strongly encourage people to take part in quality assurance events, where they will be asked to share experiences of nurse and midwifery education and suggest improvements.
AEIs must seek permission for approval for programme endorsement for programmes approved in the UK, to be delivered in a specified location outside the UK. This must be done in line with the NMC quality assurance framework.
Our Standards framework for nursing and midwifery education is set out under the following five headings:
1. Learning culture
We will only approve programmes where the learning culture is ethical, open and honest, is conducive to safe and effective learning that respects the principles of equality and diversity, and where innovation, inter-professional learning and team working are embedded
2. Educational governance and quality
We expect education providers to comply with all legal and regulatory requirements
3. Student empowerment
We want students to be empowered and provided with the learning opportunities they need to achieve the desired proficiencies and programme outcomes
4. Educators and assessors
We will seek assurance that those who support, supervise and assess students are suitably qualified, prepared and skilled, and receive the necessary support for their role
5. Curricula and assessment
We set standards for curricula and assessment that enable students to achieve the outcomes required to practise safely and effectively in their chosen area
We use these standards to assess the safety and effectiveness of all learning environments.
2 SI 2002/253
2 SI 2002/253
