Draft Midwife Registration Programme Standards: New and Existing Areas

Our consultation on the Draft Midwife Registration Programme Standards for undergraduate students is open and you can submit your feedback by Tuesday, 3 June. 

You can read the draft document on the Consultations page of our website.

Information about the areas that are new and the areas that are staying the same are outlined below.

What’s new in the 2025 Draft Undergraduate Standards?

Note: where ‘midwife’ is written this refers to ‘registered midwife’. The standards are designed to support the distinct role of the midwife and integrate the clinical pathways of maternity care.

The Draft standards are:

1. Standards for entry to the Midwifery Register.

2. Aligned with the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives Incorporating the Scope of Practice and Professional Guidance (2025).

3. EU compliant for registration on the NMBI Midwives Register. Indicative content from EU Directive 2013/55/EU.

4. Indicative content from Irish legislation, S.I. No. 218 of 2018 S.I. NURSES AND MIDWIVES (EDUCATION AND TRAINING) RULES 2018  and subsequent amendments, The Department of Health Expert Review Body (ERB) and IAG 1 approved Action Paper 2024, including Midwifery Specific Submission.

5. Shifting to a biopsychosocial model of healthcare delivery

1. Incorporating health and wellness of women and infants.

2. Reflecting the principles of Equity, Diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the population and profession.

3. Increasing the focus on the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) and social justice.

6. Increasing the awareness of human rights and strengthening the partnership between midwives and women and their families in their care.

7. Applying the evidence from 16 national policy reviews of future directions of healthcare delivery in Ireland into the curriculum.

8. Adopting an outcome-based standards approach to the curriculum

   1. International best practice for regulation.

   2. Increased transparency of the curriculum through the essential evidence required for accreditation.

   3. Minimum standards which will promote academic freedom.

   4. Promoting interpretation and flexibility for education bodies, their practice partners and students.

   5. Broadening of practice placements to increase community learning.

   6. Promoting ongoing reflection in practice placement.

   7. Strengthening the partnership between practice and academia in the collaborative assessment of competency at the end of each year.

9. Build on a learner centred approach to the curriculum

   1. Learner centred teaching pedagogy.

   2. Standards for assessment and supervision of students, addressing a perceived power imbalance of the preceptor/assessor relationship.

   3. Competency achievement rather than placement focused experience.

   4. Promoting flexibility and choice in shift patterns, placements and internship.

   5. Demonstration of competency development through portfolio presentation to prepare students for the professional competency scheme as registrants.

   6. Finish date aligned to academic calendar.

10. Introducing 12-week internship paid in year 3 with a 3.5:1 ratio with remaining 24 weeks internship paid as usual in year 4.

11. Reducing weeks on placement from 81 to 62 weeks over 4 years, with students to work 37.5 hours per week alongside qualified staff, but hours remain the same at 2,300 hours in compliance with the EU Directive minimum practice placement hours.

12. National clinical assessment documents may be a hybrid of the tool currently used and will form part of the portfolio.

 
What’s staying the same

1. Four-year Honours Bachelor’s Degree 240 ECTS.

2. National Framework of Qualifications: Level 8 Honours Degree.

3. 50:50 split, theory and practice, 4,600 hours.

4. All current routes still apply, CAO, HEAR, DARE, Mature and FET applicants.

5. On completion of the undergraduate 4-year Midwife programme students will graduate directly onto the Midwifery Register.

6. Supernumerary status remains for students in practice placement until internship.

7. Support staff ratios while on practice placements remain the same.

8. Higher Education Institutions continue to be responsible for developing and delivering the curriculum in collaboration with their practice partners.

9. Achievement of competency while on practice placement remains under the oversight of a registered midwife.

10. 4th year internship placement continues to be paid, and ratio of 1:2 remains.

11. Practice placement supports such as learning support plans and reasonable accommodations remain.