How Do Mental Health Nursing Students in the United Kingdom Experience Assessment Against the NMC Generic Standards of Proficiency? A Cross-Field Comparison

Abstract

In 2018 the UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) moved from field-specific to generic standards of proficiency in training all four fields of nursing practice. Some educators claim these proficiencies exclude field-specific content, but there is a lack of comparative evidence on student feedback across each field. This study examined student nurses experiences of being assessed against these generic proficiencies to identify whether there are any differences between the fields of nursing in the United Kingdom. In a cross-sectional study employing a mixed-methods anonymous online survey, 531 nursing students in the final 3 months of training were surveyed across UK universities in 10 regions of the United Kingdom. Significant differences between nursing fields were observed in students' feedback on the NMC proficiencies (p = 0.000). Mental health nursing students reported the lowest levels of practice confidence; significant barriers to achieving proficiencies; and exclusion of field-specific knowledge and skills, which devalued and threatened their professional identity. Adult nursing students reported high levels of practice confidence; fewer barriers to achieving proficiencies; variable experiences of placement support; and a preference for more focus on communication skills. Feedback indicates that students experience the generic proficiencies as a list of medical procedures that exclude communication and relationship management skills. The findings suggest that further evaluation and guidance are required to ensure that mental health proficiencies are included in practice assessment documentation.