Education standards could strengthen every nurse's professional standing

We are not yet a quarter of our way through 2017, but already it is shaping up to be a momentous year for the nursing profession.

Between now and next winter, we can expect to see some significant changes, including a radical overhaul of student funding, the introduction of the nursing associate role and the RCN accreditation of advanced nursing practice.

Another important development ahead is a restructuring of the way nursing students are prepared for practice.

Clinical competence

Nursing Standard was recently shown a draft version of the new Standards for Registered Nurse Education, which we understand is already in its eighth revision. The new standards include a much greater emphasis on learning clinical skills.

Among the proposals is for all newly qualified nurses to be allowed to prescribe from an 'agreed formulary' and to be able to undertake procedures such as venepuncture, cannulation and various intravenous therapies.

Initial responses from the RCN and nurse academics have been generally favourable. As the Council of Deans of Health points out, the new standards will help differentiate between registered nurses and the new nursing associates.

Nurses on the ground often complain that newly qualified staff are not sufficiently equipped when they take on their first jobs, and that there are inconsistencies in their levels of competence. Hopefully the new standards will help solve these problems and strengthen every nurse's professional standing.