Advanced practice regulations: NMC announces schedule

This week, the regulator approved a roadmap for the second phase of its work on regulating advanced practices, setting out key milestones and timetables for this part of the review.

The NMC’s review of advanced practice nursing, which has been taking place since 2022, has found wide differences in the way nurses enter and undertake advanced practice roles.

In March this year, the NMC’s governing board voted to press ahead with plans to regulate advanced practitioners amid concerns that the change could threaten confidence and trust in advanced practitioners.

At today’s governing board meeting (May 22), NMC chief executive and registrar Andrea Sutcliffe noted that the regulator has now approved a stage two review plan.

She said Sam Foster, nurse executive director of professional practice at the NMC, and the wider professional practice team had been developing workflows and milestones for this stage, which were outlined in the council’s latest documents.

The first line of work and milestone is that the NMC will “develop and finalize a UK-wide harmonized advanced practice framework”.

It stated that it expects to present a draft framework and implementation recommendations to the Board and Council in the third quarter of 2024-2025.

Meanwhile, the second working stream has promised to develop draft advanced practice proficiency standards and draft related education program standards. Both solutions will require public consultation before they are finalized, according to council documents.

The NMC said that, with council approval, it anticipates public consultation on the draft proficiency standards and related education standards from mid-January to mid-April 2025.

It said a report would then be presented to council once these activities were completed in the third quarter of 2025-2026.

The third area of ​​work concerns the development of a ‘proportionate transition approach’ to recognize all existing advanced practice professionals and those currently engaged in training.

The regulator said it would take around 18 months and would keep the council updated on progress.

The final line of work is to ensure that advanced practice is included in the 2025–2026 review of revalidation and the NMC Code.

The regulator added that the independent advanced practice steering group, chaired by former chief nurse Kay Fawcett, will ensure its objectives are met and will also continue to make recommendations to the NMC board.

Separately, NMC said it reached more than 1,100 people through its advanced practice webinar.

The NMC also commissioned the Florence Nightingale Foundation to investigate the implications of advanced practice regulations for internationally trained nurses and midwives. The survey on this topic has so far received 1,583 responses.