The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) has made anti-racism a central commitment to its ongoing reviews of the Code and Revalidation process – two regulatory tools which shape nursing and midwifery practice in all settings across the four countries of the UK.
The Code encompasses the professional standards of practice and behaviour for all the UK’s 860,000 nurses, midwives and nursing associates. The three-yearly Revalidation process – which must be completed to maintain registration with the NMC – encourages registrants to reflect on how the Code applies to their practice.
The Code review is exploring how future standards must support nursing and midwifery professionals to uphold equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), challenge racism and discrimination, and tackle persistent health inequalities.
To date, the NMC has engaged all its internal strategic advisory groups in the review. These include the Diaspora Registrants Association Forum – whose membership spans a wide range of communities, including African, Caribbean, South Asian, East Asian, European, Middle Eastern, refugee, and faith-based networks.
The regulator has also engaged its Public Voice Forum – bringing together a diverse group of people with lived experience of health and social care.
Next, the regulator will commission independent research with professional and public audiences from the four nations of the UK. This will include nursing and midwifery professionals at or around retirement age; disabled professionals; internationally educated professionals; and professionals on career breaks.
Research with the public will include people with mental health challenges and learning disabilities; maternity service users; groups with lifelong conditions; and other seldom heard groups.
This further research will build on the insights from 13,757 people who responded to an initial survey last year – this gathered views on how the new Code and Revalidation process should respond to the significant changes across health and social care in the last decade.
As well as a stronger focus on EDI, respondents called for standards on the safe and appropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in nursing and midwifery, and clearer professional boundaries when using social media and other digital tools.
Prof Donna O’Boyle MBE, Acting Executive Director of Professional Practice and a registered nurse, said: “The Code and Revalidation guide every nurse, midwife and nursing associate in their daily practice, and give the public clarity about the high standards of person-centred care they can expect.
“It’s essential that these key regulatory tools keep pace with a rapidly developing nursing and midwifery landscape – characterised by a more diverse population with increasingly complex health and care needs.
“That’s why, through our reviews, we’re making sure to harness the views and experiences of a wide range of people and communities, and amplifying seldom heard voices. These insights will be crucial as we work towards a landmark public consultation on the future Code and Revalidation process, later this year.”
