The NMC code professional standards of practice

By Cathy Warwick, RCM chief executive on 20 March 2015 NMC - Nursing and Midwifery Council

Have you read the revised NMC code yet?

I re-read it yesterday as I was invited to an NMC dinner at which we were to discuss how the NMC and others could ensure that it was really used in the day to day practice of every nurse and midwife.

It is a very good revision covering four areas:

• prioritise people
• practise effectively
• preserve safety
• promote professionalism and trust.

What strikes me as critically important is that the Code does not just live on our shelves or just become the reference point for Fitness to Practice cases. It needs to become our constant check point against which we assess everything we do and which we hold up as our evidence for change being necessary in our workplaces if we see others or cannot ourselves practice in the way that is required of us as professionals.

The Code is written in plain English, it's short, it's clear – putting it into practice may not always be easy but there is no other choice than to make sure we do. Otherwise the question has to be asked how safe is our care and what are we midwives for?

The RCM have designed an i-learn module to take you through the key issues within the Code and what it might mean for your registration. This will be launching soon - watch this space!