Critical work to grow the nursing workforce

You will recall from my previous columns the sharing of progress of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) review of undergraduate nursing and midwifery practice learning. The NMC commissioned independent research into students' practice learning requirements in January 2024, with the aim of recognising and acknowledging innovation, and ensuring that NMC requirements continue to equip students with the knowledge and skills to deliver the best possible care for people across a diverse range of care settings.

The research undertaken by the Nuffield Trust (Palmer et al, 2024) detailed:

In January 2025, the NMC council approved five key lines of enquiry for the next phase of the review. This work is critical for the profession to support the aims of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (NHS England, 2023), including to ‘significantly increase education and training to record levels’ that will require action from stakeholders. The need for a significant increase was highlighted in July 2024, with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) citing the latest UCAS figures (RCN, 2024a). These showed that, by the 30 June deadline, the number of applicants to study nursing in England was 33 560, a decrease from 36 400 (8%) in the previous year, and from 45 740 in 2021, or 27% in 3 years, This, the RCN stated, will threaten the delivery of the long-term workforce plan.