NMC Programme Information

Within this page, you'll find information and resources for staff supporting learners on NMC-approved programmes (nursing, midwifery, prescribing, apprenticeships, etc.)

Role Definitions

As of 2021 — following the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards — the traditional “mentor / sign-off mentor” roles have been replaced by the following key educator/supervisor roles:

Practice Supervisor — a registered nurse, midwife, nursing associate or other suitably registered health/social care professional who provides day-to-day support, learning opportunity facilitation, direct supervision and feedback to learners in practice.
Practice Assessor — a registered nurse, midwife (or in some programmes a suitably qualified prescriber or SCPHN/SPQ nurse) who is responsible for evidence-based assessment and confirmation of a learner’s achievement of required proficiencies during placements.
Academic Assessor — a university lecturer or other member of academic staff who oversees, collates and confirms the learner's achievement of proficiencies and programme outcomes in the academic and practice environment.

Depending on the type of programme (pre-registration nursing, midwifery, prescribing, apprenticeships, post-registration etc.), different combinations of these roles will be involved.

Standards

Educators must deliver learning and assessment in line with the NMC’s Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment (SSSA) (2018, re-published 2023), which form Part 2 of the broader NMC Education & Training Standards framework.

The SSSA covers three main areas:

Effective practice learning — requirements for safe, structured and supportive learning environments.
Supervision of learners — outlines expectations for supervision quality, continuity, feedback, inclusion, equality, and support tailored to learner needs and stage.
Assessment of learners and confirmation of proficiency — criteria for objective, evidence-based assessment, decision-making, and collaboration between practice and academic assessors.

These standards apply across all NMC-approved programmes (pre-registration, post-registration, prescribing, return-to-practice, apprenticeships).

NMC SSSA Links & Resources

Official SSSA page on NMC website (standards text + downloadable PDF)
Supporting Information Hub for SSSA — guidance on supervision, assessment, inclusive learning, documentation, indirect supervision etc.
NMC-approved Programme Standards pages (nursing, midwifery, prescribing, post-registration, apprenticeships) — via NMC “Standards for Education and Training” section.

Make sure your local placement provider / Approved Education Institution is referencing the latest version (2023 republished SSSA) when using the standards.

Somebody types on a keyboard. Artwork can be seen in front of the screen.

Course Specific Documents & Information

Apprenticeships

NMC Professions (Non-apprenticeship)

Practice Assessor and Supervisor Training

Access training resources for supporting your learners

Training for Practice Assessors and Supervisors

Nursing students working together during a learning session

Back to home page

HSC Practice Learning