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Simulated learning hours double for students’ clinical practice

NMC gives go-ahead to increase simulated activities from 300 to 600 hours

Nursing and Midwifery Council gives go-ahead to increase simulated activities from 300 to 600 hours

The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s move sees nursing students’ time spent on simulated activities, such as with manikins, increase
Picture: Neil O’Connor

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has voted to double the number of simulation hours nursing students can accumulate to meet their clinical practice requirement.

The move will see the time that can be spent on simulated activities, such as with manikins and in virtual practice, increased from 300 to 600 hours.

NMC members approved the changes at a meeting on 24 November.

More flexibility for approved educational institutions

Directors of nursing courses will be required to seek approval from the NMC if they want to increase the number of simulation hours they offer.

The regulator agreed to retain the existing requirement that 2,300 of the overall 4,600 study hours must be spent in clinical practice, despite calls for this to be reduced.

NMC executive director of professional practice Geraldine Walters said: ‘These, and the additional discretionary standard, will allow approved education institutions more flexibility to explore and evaluate new and innovative approaches to nursing education.’

NMC no longer bound by EU rules on nursing and midwifery education

The clinical practice requirement is far higher than in some other countries, such as Australia, where the minimum is 800 hours, and the US, where it is 868 hours.

The NMC is no longer bound to follow EU rules on nursing and midwifery education. Professor Walters added the regulator will now explore further changes to its education standards.

Changes to the education standards were first suggested in September following independent research and a public consultation on changes to nursing and midwifery education, which received more than 6,000 responses.


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