The government is set to introduce new legislation to protect the job title ‘nurse’ and ensure only those with the relevant qualifications and registration can use it, it has been announced.
The move will see it become a criminal offence to use the title without the right Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration and could see anyone who violates this facing ‘a hefty fine running into the thousands of pounds’.
It comes after years of campaigning by nurses hoping to prevent the misuse of the nurse title across healthcare, and the recent efforts of Labour MP Dawn Butler.
Announcing the news on International Nurses Day, the government confirmed it will ‘protect the title “nurse” in law’ in a bid to crack down on ‘those attempting to mislead the public’.
Related Article: Practice nursing ‘the forgotten career’, RCN Congress told
It said the new legislation was expected to be laid in this Parliament and that anyone who subsequently describes themselves as a nurse without the relevant qualifications and registration would be committing a crime.
Currently anyone can use the title ‘nurse’ as it is the title of ‘registered nurse’ that is protected in law.
This means that those who do not have a nursing qualification or who have been convicted or struck off the NMC register can still call themselves a ‘nurse’.
The government said there would be ‘exemptions’ for relevant professions like veterinary nurse, dental nurse and nursery nurse, where the title ‘nurse’ is legitimately used.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘Nurses carry out lifesaving work every day, and I am determined we do everything we can to support them and safeguard trust in the profession.’
He said he had been appalled to hear of examples of ‘so-called nurses spreading dangerous misinformation and harming the public’.
‘The British people hold nurses in the highest regard, and we trust them in our most vulnerable moments, so patients need to know they are genuinely being seen by a nurse. Now they will.’
The government said the move was part of its wider reforms to the NHS and its ‘Plan for Change’ for the health service.
Related Article: WHO sounds alarm over ‘worsening inequities’ in nursing
In recent months, Labour MP for Brent East Ms Butler has been working to introduce a 10-minute rule bill to see the nurse title protected.
This built on and was backed by the long running #ProtectNurse campaign led by Professor Alison Leary.
Professor Nicola Ranger, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary and chief executive, said: ‘This is an important moment for our safety-critical profession, after years of campaigning.
‘A change in the law will recognise the knowledge, professionalism and clinical expertise that comes with being a registered nurse. It will provide better legal protections for nursing professionals and reassurance to patients.
Related Article: Community nurses call for more ‘GP back-up’ in palliative care decisions
‘Crucially, this is an opportunity to begin the journey to properly valuing nursing as a profession, where respect, reward and investment match the crucial nature of our work.’
Interim chief executive and registrar at the NMC Paul Rees added: ‘The public should always feel confident that anyone using the title ‘nurse’ is a registered professional with all the safeguards that brings.
‘We look forward to working with the government and our stakeholders to deliver on it.’
