Principles for advanced practice

Our principles for advanced practice aim to bring clarity and consistency to advanced nursing and midwifery practice across the UK:

For the public: they will help patients and people who use services to understand the role of an advanced practitioner, including a definition that is clearly understood by members of the public.

For professionals: they will help professionals deliver consistent, high quality, safe and effective delivery of care by setting clear expectations for advanced practice nursing and midwifery.

For employers: they will help employers to develop and sustain systems in which advanced practice can thrive – for example in workforce, education, support, CPD and governance planning.

We strongly encourage professionals and employers to use the principles to ensure people receive the best possible care.

Principles for advanced practice

Egwyddorion ar gyfer ymarfer uwch

Advanced nurses and midwives: What they are and how they should work (Easy read)

Nyrsys a bydwragedd uwch: Beth ydyn nhw a sut dylen nhw weithio (Hawdd ei Ddeall)

What the principles include

They distinguish between experienced practice and advanced practice – emphasising that advanced practice is not about the title, but a level of expertise achieved through additional, often specialised, education and experience after initial registration.

The principles are relevant to all workplace settings and complement, and are aligned to, the advanced practice frameworks of each of the four nations of the UK.

Key components include:

The distinction between experienced and advanced level practice.
Autonomous complex decision-making, managing risk and uncertainty.
Equity, equality, diversity, and inclusion responsibilities.
Recognition of the four pillars of advanced practice – clinical, education, research and leadership/management.
Consideration of the breadth of advanced practice across nursing and midwifery, and all health and social care settings.
The importance of inter-professional learning and working.
Employer governance arrangements.

Advanced practitioners and their employers should use the principles to ensure consistent, high quality, safe and effective delivery of care. While these principles are advisory, we strongly encourage professionals and employers to use them to ensure people receive the best possible care.

Watch our video

We’ve published a short video featuring members of the public, professionals and system leaders discussing how the principles will strengthen advanced practice care:

Cymraeg