Nursing associate consultation

We consulted on how we should regulate the new nursing associate profession in England. The consultation ran from 9 April to 2 July 2018.

What we asked

We asked for views on the standards and approach that will allow us to regulate nursing associates.

We proposed broadly applying the approach we currently have for nurses and midwives to nursing associates in some areas, as well as developing new standards specifically for nursing associates.

Our consultation document explains our proposals in full.

Your views

The vast majority of people who responded to the consultation supported the proposals we put forward.

Download our consultation response (Cymraeg) for an overview of the responses, the main themes raised in comments from respondents and our response to any issues raised.

What we did

We used the feedback from the consultation to refine our standards and approach to regulating nursing associates. This was approved by our Council in September 2018.

As a result of this consultation, we’ve now:

• updated our Code to make it relevant to nursing associates
• published new standards of proficiency for registered nursing associates
• published new standards for nursing associate programmes.

Find out more about how we’ll regulate nursing associates.