NMBI's Professional Competence Scheme: what nurses and midwives need to know

Nurses and midwives in Ireland have always been expected to keep their competence up to date. What has been missing is a formal national scheme for showing it. That is changing, and it is worth knowing where things stand.

This article reflects NMBI's published information as of October 2026. We will update it when NMBI publishes the final scheme.

Where things stand

• The Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 includes a section on professional competence, Part 11. NMBI describes this part as yet to be enacted.
• NMBI has piloted a Professional Competence Scheme with registrants and employers.
• After the pilot, NMBI says it is revising and strengthening the scheme before it is formally introduced.
• The finalised scheme is expected to be published in November 2026.
• In the meantime, NMBI advises organisations and individuals not to pilot or adopt the current draft model while changes are being made.

So there is no new mandatory requirement yet, but one is on the way.

What applies to you right now

NMBI's Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics already applies to every registered nurse and midwife. It requires you to maintain your competence, keep your knowledge and skills up to date, and address any limits in your competence.

This also applies if you are retired but want to keep your registration or return to practice.

What the scheme is expected to involve

Once Part 11 is enacted:

• Registrants will have to maintain their professional competence under a scheme set by NMBI.
• Employers will have to facilitate this, for example by providing learning opportunities at work.
• NMBI will be required to run schemes to monitor how registrants maintain their competence.

The detail, such as how much learning is required and how it is recorded, will be in the final scheme. Rely on NMBI's own publications rather than earlier drafts.

What you can do now

You do not need to wait for the scheme to build good habits. Whatever the final details, it is very likely to value a clear record of learning and reflection.

1. Keep a simple log of your learning: courses, in-service training, reading, conferences and supervision, with dates and hours.
2. Note what you learned and how it changed your practice, soon after each activity.
3. Keep evidence such as certificates and attendance records together with each entry.
4. Look ahead. Note two or three areas you want to develop over the next year.

Starting now means that when the scheme arrives, you will already have a year or more of well-kept records, instead of trying to piece things together.

Sources

• NMBI: Professional Competence Scheme
• NMBI: Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives