The use of simulation in student learning

Leaving the European Union has allowed the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to reconsider the standards for nursing education, including the directive that requires 2300 practice hours.

The NMC has regularly been asked to consider a reduction in practice learning hours for pre-registration programmes. Equally, the workforce plans of the four countries of the UK address the need to increase student numbers to support the development of the future nursing and midwifery workforce.

Previously commissioned independent research from Harlow Consulting (2021) explored programmes in countries that require fewer practice learning hours, and concluded that there are some contextual differences in the way practice learning is delivered, including the use of simulation. The research concluded that a focused, good quality learning experience is seen as key to producing a nurse or midwife who is safe to practice. The key elements of a quality learning experience identified included:

This discovery phase will use the recently published NMC (2024) evaluation of simulated practice learning for pre-registration nursing programmes