Professional standards for practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates are set out by the Nursing & Midwifery Council in the Nursing and Midwifery Code. All nurses are expected to be familiar with the Code and must uphold these standards to be registered to practise in the UK.
The Code exists to protect the public and to give patients confidence that their nurse is registered and fit to practise within the limits of their competence. It covers four themes, with specific standards under each theme:
In addition to the professional standards that we expect all nurses to uphold, in designing this Professional Development Framework for LCNSs, LCNUK has overlaid four additional domains that we expect LCNSs to develop and apply in their professional practice. These are based on the four pillars of advanced practice:
