UCD staff integral to the design of the NEW Registered Nurse Programmes Standards

The RUN ME project was the first phase of the reform of the new Nurse Registration Standards, by evaluating the current curriculum. The evaluation examined the curriculum in the context of healthcare policy, international standards, evidence-based literature and broad stakeholder engagement that included service users and graduates.

Findings from each workstream in the RUN ME report have contributed to the reform of the new Nurse Registration Standards, reflecting the need to create a nursing workforce ready for integrated community healthcare, the diverse population of Ireland and the nursing workforce. In addition, the new, less prescriptive regulatory approach to the curriculum requires the application of a learner-centered approach, incorporating digital competency, holistic biopsycosocial knowledge and skills, incorporating the social determinants of health to reflect the modern, yet complex focus on health and wellness in healthcare. New standards have been developed to ensure nursing education is a positive, supportive learning environment for all nursing students and require the student to take responsibility to gather evidence of competency for portfolio presentations. RUN ME also captured the importance on the supernumerary status of our students and the positive perceptions from all stakeholders that internship consolidates learning, which remain in the new Standards published. A flexible workforce is required to meet healthcare policy in Ireland and RUN ME identified a need to improve flexibility for students and the development of core content across all divisions of the register, this is also reflected in the new Nurse Registration Sandards. 

Associate Professor Mary Ryder was seconded by UCD for 8 months to write the new Nurse Registration Standards with NMBI. We would like to congratulate Mary and the wider RUN ME team who contributed to the updated standards, shaping the future of nurse education for the next decade at least.