NMC approves the OU’s new Future Nurse curriculum

The Open University’s (OU) new Future Nurse curriculum has been formally approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

In response to new Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards published in 2018, the OU has made significant revisions and updates to its Adult Nursing and Mental Health Nursing curriculum. The approval also sees the OU introduce the fields of Children and Young People Nursing and Learning Disabilities Nursing, extending the nursing degree and apprenticeship offer to cover all four fields of nursing practice.

Julie Messenger, Senior Lecturer (Nursing Lead) at the OU, led the production of the new curriculum. She said:

“With our recent successful NMC approval event, I am really pleased that we will for the first time be offering all four fields of practice. Since 2002, we have demonstrated consistently that we can provide pre-registration nursing programmes via supported open learning that builds personal and professional confidence and competence in students. We are looking forward to working with new and existing employers to offer our new and exciting programme that meets the expectation of the Future Nurse.”

Delivered in partnership with employers, the OU’s nursing programmes are a unique combination of supported distance learning and practice-based learning within the workplace. The new curriculum has been created by a team from the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care who specialise in their field of nursing practice and has been written in consultation with employers, students and service users.

The OU’s flexible approach enables the NHS and private and voluntary institutions to train their Healthcare Assistants and Healthcare Support Workers to achieve registered nurse status, while the apprenticeship also allows employers to attract new talent to their organisation. The unique model provides an opportunity for individuals who may not be able to take traditional routes to become a registered nurse, allowing them to earn whilst they learn and gain practical skills in their place of work and on placement.

The OU has been delivering qualifying nursing programmes since 2002. Over 2,000 students have become registered nurses with the OU and a further 1,600 students are currently on programme.

Find out more about how to study nursing with the OU.