Project Overview
The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for Northern Ireland has commissioned the Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council (NIPEC) to lead a regional programme of work to support the implementation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Principles for Advanced Practice.
These principles, launched in June 2025, set out clear expectations for safe, effective and high-quality advanced level nursing and midwifery practice. They are designed to strengthen governance arrangements, support consistency in practice and prepare the workforce and organisations for future regulatory developments.
This project will support Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations across Northern Ireland to embed these principles into practice, ensuring that advanced practice roles continue to deliver safe, person-centred care.
Project Aim
To support health and social care organisations across Northern Ireland to establish the governance structures, systems and processes required to effectively implement and embed the NMC Principles for Advanced Practice
Project Objectives
The project will:
- Establish a regional Task and Finish Group using co-production and co-design approaches
- Work in partnership with the NMC and key stakeholders to align with UK-wide implementation
- Review current governance arrangements for advanced nursing and midwifery practice
- Develop engagement and communication strategies to support implementation
- Support organisations to introduce and embed the principles into practice
- Evaluate the impact of implementation on governance systems and processes
- Produce a final report with recommendations to support ongoing embedding of the principles
Expected Outcomes
The project will support:
- Clear and consistent governance arrangements for advanced practice
- Improved workforce planning, supervision, and professional development
- Enhanced patient safety and quality of care
- Increased understanding of advanced practice roles among the public and workforce
- A sustainable framework to support future regulation of advanced practice
Contact
Senior Professional Officer for this project: Dr Carole McKenna