Accountability to the Profession
To most advanced nurse practitioners the term professional accountability will be associated with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) the statutory body that regulates nurses and midwives in the U.K. The duty of the NMC is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public by setting and upholding standards in nursing and midwifery care through regulation. In the UK, regulation for advanced nurse practitioners has been debated for several years and the issues are discussed further in the regulatory guidance section of the website.
Regulation of a professional group usually occurs via the establishment of a code of standards or conduct issued by the relevant professional body, e.g. The Code: Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics (NMC, 2008) and other key standards e.g. Guidance for good health and good character for students, nurses and midwives (NMC). Within these documents the NMC establishes the expectations of the professional in relation to their practice. All student and registered nurses, and midwives are expected to adhere to the standards outlined in the code which is underpinned by ethical principles.
Further information on these documents can be found using the following links:
