Dr Paula Holt comments on NMC's major changes to nurse education

On the 13th June the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) launched a new consultation regarding nursing education. In this, the standards of proficiency that UK trained nurses must meet before they can work as a registered nurse were reviewed, as well as a set of  proposals for a new education framework.

The consultation on proposed pre-registration education standards will run from the 13 June until 12 September 2017.

Dr Paula Holt, Dean of the College of Health and Social Care at the University of Derby, has responded to the NMC’s plans to launch consultation on major changes to nurse education:

“I would welcome some extra simulation hours in the University, as our simulation capabilities have been much enhanced over past years enabling realistic practice learning that allows us to work through scenarios with students that may be difficult to practice in the clinical setting.

“For example, we can set up a ward full of (simulated) sick patients that a student nurse has to manage – a situation he or she may find themselves in when they qualify, but they can work through such scenarios in the safe environment of the University.

“Our state-of-the-art simulation clinical skills suites at both our Derby and Chesterfield Campuses have a full NHS-spec hospital ward which have video recording and live streaming capability.

“Our clinical practice simulation group works with health service staff and service users (experts by experience) to provide as realistic and up to date simulated practice as possible.

“The NMC has said that up to half of the 2,300 practice hours can be spent in simulation, so our academic team will need to carefully consider how many extra simulation hours we will include in our curricula in future, and offer this alongside high quality clinical placements that together with the theory component are essential to developing competent, confident registered nurses.

“We currently claim 150 hours of simulated practice hours for NMC purposes but our theoretical curriculum includes many more hours of simulation activities already because we see this as an excellent way to teach both theory and practice in a safe environment. We have made a conscious effort to add to both our expert simulation team and our facilities over the last two years as we recognise the importance of simulation as part of all pre-registration education.”