A duty of care to the nurse as well

摘要

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) states that a nurse or midwife is fit to practise when they have the skills, knowledge, health and character to do their job safely and effectively. The NMC will consider referrals the following areas: Misconduct (including clinical misconduct) Lack of competence Criminal convictions Serious ill health Not having the necessary knowledge of the English language. In recent years, the NMC has made changes to how it handles fitness to practise cases. This is referenced in the 2017-18 annual report (NMC, 2018a) as in response to criticism of the NMC following a review into the handling of cases involving midwives at Furness General Hospital. The NMC's new strategic direction in this area, "Ensuring patient safety, enabling professionalism' (NMC, 2018b), focuses on reducing risks to patients by encouraging openness and learning, working more closely with employers, and considering the context in which incidents occur, recognising the complexity of the current practice environment.