Consultation looks at specific standards for different fields of practice, which aim to prepare nurses more effectively for their particular specialism

Nurses are being asked to share their views on drafts of new education standards for different fields of practice in community nursing.

The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) has been developing the field-specific standards to underpin and support specialist practitioner qualifications (SPQs) offered by higher education providers in the UK.

Concern that specialisms needed more direction

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) introduced a core specialist community nursing qualification last year, aimed at nurses working in any setting in the community.

• RELATED: NMC set to overhaul public health and community nursing standards

It was hoped the all-encompassing SPQ would future-proof new post-registration standards also agreed by the regulator last July, by allowing it to be applied to new community nursing roles.

• RELATED: Community nursing: how the core specialist qualification will work

But there were concerns that the NMC’s standards did not detail exactly what was required to prepare nurses working in specific fields, for example district nursing, and that a single set of common standards would apply to all nurses regardless of their specialism.

• RELATED: Don’t let NMC’s blueprint for community care pass by without specialist nursing input

How to give your views on the draft standards

The QNI’s new field-specific standards aim to provide more detail and enhance the NMC standards. The charity is looking to create nine individual sets of standards for advanced practice and has now launched a consultation on six of them.

It particularly wants the views of those commissioning or delivering SPQ programmes within higher education.

• RELATED: QNI issues new education standards for community nurses

To take part in the consultation, click here

Further information

• View the QNI’s draft education standards
• Give your views to the consultation

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