May 12, 2025
NMBI is holding a public consultation on the Draft Midwife Registration Programme Standards for undergraduate students from 7 May to 3 June 2025.
NMBI is holding a public consultation on the Draft Midwife Registration Programme Standards for undergraduate students from 7 May to 3 June 2025.
As part of our role, we are mandated under the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011, as amended to publish the standards to guide the design, development, delivery and evaluation of nursing and midwifery registration programmes.
The Nurses and Midwives Act 2011, as amended, states that NMBI shall set and publish in the prescribed manner the standards of nursing and midwifery education and training for first time registration and post-registration specialist nursing and midwifery qualifications.
NMBI sets the regulatory standards and then the Higher Education Institutions, with their practice partners, write the programme curricula that map to these standards.
NMBI Director of Professional Standards – Midwifery, Dr Karn Cliffe said “Midwives play such an important role in delivering care to women, their babies and their families. The new standards will equip midwifery students, within a supportive environment, with the knowledge and skills they need to work in partnership with women, further enhancing the midwifery profession for the years ahead.”
The new standards and curricula will be in place for midwifery students entering third level from the Autumn of 2027. A key difference will be increasing community practice placements which is in line with national health policy and Sláintecare. Midwifery students will undertake their paid internship for three months at the end of third year and six-months in fourth year.
We would really appreciate your views and we invite you to read the draft consultation document before submitting your feedback through the online survey. Further details are available on the Consultations page of our website.
Background
In August 2022, NMBI with the Chief Nurse’s Office in the Department of Health co-sponsored an evidence-based review of the undergraduate education programmes leading to nursing and midwifery education. The RUN-ME research report was published October 2023, which made several recommendations. Included in the recommendations is an increase in community placements for nurses and midwives in line with national healthcare policies.
From May 2023 to December 2024, the Department of Health Expert Review Body (ERB) and Implementation Action Group 1 (IAG) co-ordinated a national engagement review, inviting involvement from key stakeholders. Several actions were outlined including the development of new education programme standards by NMBI.
In February 2025, NMBI convened an advisory group with key midwifery stakeholders to advise on the development of the standards.