The UK is no longer required to follow EU law on nurse and midwife training programmes.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has said it is reviewing if the current nurse training standards should be changed following the UK’s departure from the EU.
The regulator’s educational standards set out how courses should be delivered to ensure students get the right education – such as the number and ratio of theory/practice hours, entry requirements, length of programme, methods of assessment, and the level of award.
Many of the standards already used by the NMC are enshrined in EU law to ensure nurses in different regions undergo comparable training programmes.
Following the UK’s departure, the nursing regulator is now looking at “alternative approaches” to nursing education and has commissioned a review of the pre-registration educational standards.
Any changes could affect the training of nurses, midwives, and nursing associates.
Matthew McClelland, our Director of Strategy and Insight, said: “With nearly 725,000 nurses, midwives and nursing associates on our permanent register, we have a vital role in upholding high standards in nursing and midwifery practice and keeping people safe.
“That starts from the training our students receive and that is why we want to hear from the public, professionals and our UK partners, to ensure this research provides us with up-to-date evidence about parts of our pre-registration programme standards.
“We encourage anyone who wants to contribute to respond to our survey and we plan to report back on our findings later this year. Any proposed changes will be subject to a full public consultation and further engagement with our stakeholders.”
You can take part in the NMC’s review here.