Consultation Open on Draft Nurse Registration Programme Standards

Our consultation on the Draft Nurse Registration Programme Standards and Requirements for undergraduate students is open and you can read the draft document on the Consultations page of our website.

Information is also available about the areas that are new and the areas that are staying the same.  

What’s new in the 2025 Draft Undergraduate Standards?

Note: where ‘nurse’ is written this refers to ‘registered nurse’.

The Draft standards are:

1. Standards for entry to the Register and apply to all nurses. The education qualification of a nurse determines the division of the Register that the individual is registered to.
2. Aligned with the Code of Conduct and Ethics (2025).
3. EU compliant for all divisions of the Register. Core indicative content from EU Directive 2013/55/EU including updates from March 2024, Nurses Rules SI 218 (2018), and subsequent amendments, The Department of Health Expert Review Body and IAG 1 approved Action Paper 2024.
4. Shifting to a biopsychosocial model of healthcare delivery
   1. Incorporating health and wellness of individuals across a lifespan
   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.
5. Increasing the awareness of human rights and promoting a partnership relationship between nurses and individuals in their care.
6. Applying the evidence from 32 national policy reviews of future directions of healthcare delivery in Ireland into the curriculum.
7. Adopting a 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.
8. Provide for core content being taught in years 1 and 2 including placements.
   1. Previously designated ‘specialist placement’ is now categorised as ‘core placement’ in line with EU directive compliance: general and specialist medicine; general and specialist surgery; childcare and paediatrics; maternity care; mental health and psychiatry, and care of the elderly and geriatrics. This also includes intellectual disability as core content for registration programmes in Ireland.
   2. Building on an analysis of 38 current accredited nursing programmes across all disciplines in Higher Education Institutions in Ireland, where the % ECTS weighting is as follows:
      1. placement 29%
      2. core 36%
      3. discipline specific 32%
      4. electives 3%.
9. Built 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. Competency development through portfolio presentation to prepare students for the professional competency scheme as registrants
   6. Finish date aligned to academic calendar, exception of integrated programme.
10. Acknowledging the important role of simulation in learning and assessment
11. Promoting student competency and skill development from stage one through direct supervision in low risk and low acuity practice placements of a minimum 4-week duration
12. Introducing 12-week community focussed internship paid in year 3 with a 3.5:1 ratio with remaining 24 weeks internship paid as usual in year 4.
13. 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. Integrated programme is reduced pro-rata.

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. Students choose discipline before starting year 1, all current routes still apply, CAO, HEAR, DARE, Mature and FET applicants.
5. On completion of the undergraduate 4-year programme students will graduate directly onto relevant registers, RGN, RCN, RNID and RPN.
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 registered nurses.
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.
12. Simulation does not replace direct practice placement hours.