Our nurses have their own part of the NMC register, as well as their own education standards and standards of proficiency.
In order to be registered with us to practise in the UK, every nurse is expected to uphold these professional standards and act in line with the Code.
In May 2018, we published our ambitious new standards of proficiency for registered nurses to reflect the changes taking place in society and health care, and the implications these changes have for registered nurses.
This was to ensure that our professionals of the future are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to deliver high quality care in the years to come.
These standards are also designed to support nurses to practise competently with diverse communities, to address health inequalities, and to recognise and challenge discrimination.
View all our nursing standards
What you can expect from registered nurses
It's important that everyone feels confident about the care they can expect from the nurses on our register.
We've introduced new standards for nurses in the UK, supporting them to deliver kind, safe and effective care now and in the future. As a result, our nurses are at the forefront of improving people's health and wellbeing.
We've made a short animation to help you understand what you can expect from your nurses.
Our Nursing Educaton Advisers
Our Senior Nursing Education Adviser and Nursing Education Advisers work with us in the Professional Practice Directorate. They advise the NMC on strategy, policy and education about nursing and provides the support for the ongoing development and implementation of the education and practice standards, and the Code of conduct that regulate the practice of nurses and midwives throughout the UK, and nursing associates in England.
Wendy Fowler
Wendy joined the NMC as Nursing Education Adviser working in the Professional Practice Directorate in January 2021 firstly seconded from her role in an acute NHS Trust and then as a permanent member of staff from August 2022. She advises on the ongoing development and implementation of the standards for education and proficiency for nurses and nursing associates, as well as the Code that underpins the practice of nurses and midwives in the UK and nursing associates in England.
Wendy trained at the Royal London Hospital, qualifying in 1984. She then progressed her career in a number of London hospitals in the field of trauma and orthopaedics. Wendy also worked as a trauma ward manager in Hertfordshire before moving to an education position at an acute NHS trust with roles including clinical skills trainer, practice educator and pre–registration lead nurse
Wendy has gained a Master’s Degree in Health Sciences and a Post –Graduate Diploma in Higher Education.
Julie Dixon
Registering as a mental health nurse in 1996, Julie Dixon started her career as a Community Mental Health Nurse, where she progressed to Team Leader in 2002.
Moving to work in higher education she has over 20 years of academic experience, with a variety of opportunities in relation to advancing her own learning, teaching and research portfolios.
Julie started work at the NMC in February 2021 and is continuing her self-development and awareness of global, national and local agendas, she continues to work part-time as a Bank Nurse within a mental health trust.
Professor Paula J Holt MBE DL
Paula Holt started her career as a General Nurse, specialising in acute medicine, then became a Mental Health Nurse. She served as an Army Officer for 8 years in SE England, Germany and Scotland heading up mental health services for Forces personnel and their families, and she undertook operational tours of Bosnia in 1993/4 (with the UN) and 1997 (with NATO). Back in the NHS she led a drug and alcohol team, a mentally disordered offender service and developed a mandated drug treatment programme for offenders.
She enjoyed a 19-year career in Higher Education, leaving the sector last year as a Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean.
She has championed widening participation, and strongly supports social mobility through health careers, having made a success of Higher Apprenticeships for Assistant Practitioners and Nursing Associates.
Since the Funding Reforms for Healthcare Education, she has facilitated significant growth in nursing and allied health students through close partnership working with NHS Trusts, broadening the demography of the student body and regional workforce.
As well as working for the NMC as a Senior Adviser for Nursing, she has multiple exec and non-exec charitable roles to support veterans. She is proud to be a public partner voice within her regional NHS.
Key resources for nurses
We've developed a number of useful documents and resources designed to support nurses across the UK and explain recent changes to our standards.
Our Guidance on Raising Concerns, Duty of candour and Social media provides additional information and good practice to assist in key issues in day to day nursing practice.
Enabling professionalism in nursing practice describes and demonstrates what professionalism looks like in everyday practice through the application of the Code.
Implementing our nursing standards
Supporting information on standards for student supervision and assessment
