Factors associated with strengthening knowledge and implementation of safer staffing principles

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) updated the nursing and midwifery preregistration proficiencies in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and both contain requirements for safe staffing principles to be taught and assessed through academia and clinical placements of BSc degree programmes.

To ascertain how higher educational institutions (HEIs) are preparing the 'future nurses' and 'future midwives' in terms of adequate knowledge on the principles of safer staffing, in line with four specific NMC proficiencies, ahead of entering the NMC register.

A Freedom of Information request was made to 21 HEIs, complemented with an online survey of undergraduate preregistration students from five HEIs in England, to determine the level of safer staffing principles within the current curriculum.

Reliance on clinical placements to support attainment of safer staffing knowledge was noted, with variation in curriculum content, acquisition of knowledge and assessment methods across HEIs; 86% of students declared that NMC proficiency 7.12, related to business case planning, was addressed the least.

Implementing bespoke simulation learning, use of Chief Nursing Officer Safer Staffing Fellows, and integrating 'Fundamentals of Safer Staffing' e-learning will strengthen safer staffing knowledge related to four NMC proficiencies across HEIs and healthcare settings for future generations of nurses, midwives, practice and academic educators.