The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) is the regulatory body for nurses and midwives in Ireland. Its main role is to protect the public by making sure high standards are maintained in education, training, and professional practice.

NMBI sets the standards for:

• Education and training
• Registration
• Professional conduct and behaviour

It also provides guidance to support nurses and midwives in delivering safe and effective care.
NMBI maintains the Register of Nurses and Midwives and sets the requirements for registration. It approves and monitors education programmes to ensure they meet required standards.

NMBI publishes the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics (2025) and other guidance to help nurses and midwives understand what is expected of them and maintain their competence.

If concerns are raised about a nurse or midwife, NMBI investigates through its fitness to practise processes and takes action if standards are not met.

Through all of its work, NMBI ensures that nurses and midwives practise safely, competently, and ethically in the public interest.

You will find more details of the Board of NMBI, board committees and the functions of individual departments in our What we Do section.

Yes. NMBI has a Customer Service Charter which sets out the principles for how we engage with our customers. We also welcome comments, compliments and complaints about NMBI through our online Customer Feedback Form.

Matters relating to staff rostering are the responsibility of employers not NMBI. These issues should be addressed through local employment arrangements.

NMBI does not provide guidance on individual employment issues or on day-to-day service delivery matters.

If you have concerns about things like your working conditions, staffing levels, supervision, or how your workplace is organised, you should raise these locally first. This usually means speaking to your line manager or employer to try to resolve the issue.

If you have concerns about professional conduct, competence, or patient safety that cannot be resolved at a local level, these may need to be referred to NMBI as part of its role as the regulator.

No. NMBI does not advise on professional indemnity insurance policies and does not recommend specific insurance providers.

All registered nurses and registered midwives must ensure that they have appropriate and adequate professional indemnity insurance in place for the care and services they provide in line with the Code.

As a regulated professional, you are accountable for your decisions and for the the care you provide, regardless of your role, work setting, or whether you are working under direction or as part of a team.

The way professional indemnity insurance is arranged may differ depending on how you practise:

• If you are employed in the public or voluntary/not for profit sector, professional indemnity insurance is generally provided through your employer’s arrangements, for activities carried out within your contracted role and scope of employment.
• If you are employed in the private or independent sector, indemnity insurance may be provided by your employer, but this should not be assumed. You should confirm directly with your employer that appropriate indemnity insurance is in place and that it covers the nature and scope of the services you provide.
• If you provide services on a private or independent basis, or carry out any work outside your contracted employment, you are responsible for ensuring that you have your own individual professional indemnity insurance in place.

You should ensure that your indemnity insurance arrangements are appropriate to your scope of practice and service you provide. Scope of practice refers to what a registered nurse or registered midwife can safely and appropriately do, in line with The Code. It is informed by your education, current competence, authority, division(s) of the Register and the population you are registered to care for.

No. NMBI does not regulate business or company formation, private practice governance, or the legal and operational requirements involved in setting up a private clinic or independent healthcare service. These matters fall outside the role of the nursing and midwifery regulator.

If you are considering setting up a private clinic or providing independent services, you should seek advice from legal and professional experts with experience in healthcare regulation, business formation, and private practice governance. As a regulated professional, you are accountable for ensuring that you have appropriate and adequate professional indemnity insurance in place. Your insurance must cover your scope of practice. 

Scope of practice refers to what a registered nurse or registered midwife can safely and appropriately do, in line with the Code. It is informed by your education, current competence, authority, division(s) of the register and the population you are registered to care for.

Accountability for practice always rests with you as the registrant. This means you are personally answerable for what you do, the decisions you make, anything you choose not to do, and the outcomes of your care. This accountability cannot be passed to someone else, even if you are working under direction or as part of a team.

NMBI has no role in this. We are the regulatory body and our work is determined by the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011. Pay and conditions are set by health service employers in consultation with employees and their representatives.

This happened as a result of Nurses and Midwives Act 2011. It provided for the name to change to Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann/ Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland and recognised midwifery as a separate profession.