Scotland’s Chief Nurse, Professor Fiona McQueen, and representatives from across the health and care sector in Scotland joined together in Edinburgh last week to mark the launch of ambitious new nursing education standards.
Developed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the standards set out the skills and knowledge the next generation of nurses will need to know before they qualify.
At the event, Professor Geraldine Walters, Director of Education and Standards at the NMC, discussed the development of the new standards while Professor McQueen also shared her thoughts on why these standards are significant for nurses in Scotland.
Publication of the standards follows two years of extensive engagement by the NMC with patient groups, charities and the public sharing their views. Health and care professionals, students, educators and employers also took part in workshops, focus groups, webinars and twitter chats to help shape the NMC’s standards.
Professor Geraldine Walters CBE, NMC Director of Education and Standards, said: “Our ambitious new standards represent a huge leap forward in nursing education and it’s fantastic to be able to celebrate them with colleagues in Scotland. We want the nurses of tomorrow to continue to be able to deliver world class healthcare and these standards will enable them to do that.
“We simply couldn’t have developed these standards without the input of nurses, educators and the public in Scotland and across the UK. We’re enormously grateful for their contribution.”
Professor Fiona McQueen, Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland, said: “These new standards represent a fundamental shift in the way nursing education will be delivered. They will provide nurses both here in Scotland and across the UK with the skills and knowledge they need to deliver outstanding care across a variety of health care settings.
“We know that here in Scotland we need a nursing workforce that’s fit for the future. These new standards will give students a greater understanding of all areas of nursing, as well as giving universities more flexibility to embrace technology.
“This is a really exciting time for the future of nursing education and it’s a pleasure to be marking the launch of these new nursing standards here in Scotland today.”
The final standards were published on 17 May 2018 and can be used by educators from 28 January 2019. They give all nurses, regardless of their field of practice, a more detailed understanding across both mental and physical health.
They can be viewed here.
The event is part of a series of celebrations taking place in in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to mark the introduction of these pioneering new standards.
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