Principles of Professional Practice
NMC Report
Introduction
For this report I have been asked to compare and contrast the principles of regulations of two care professions. I have decided to choose Nursing and Social Work because I am currently training to be a nurse and I would like to see the difference between Nursing and Social Work education, training and codes of conduct as this is a field I don’t know much about.
NMC- Nursing & Midwifery Council
Follows- The Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives
SSSC- Scottish Social Services Council
Follows- Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers
SSSC has a code for both employers and workers. I am going to compare and contrast the Workers Code of Practice.
Professional education and registration
To become a qualified nurse you must be accepted to study at university for a three or four year degree. This education programme is theory and placement based. There is also another route people can take if they have the experience but not all of the qualifications, this is college for a year for then onto university for two years. Nursing students must be fit for practice and be able to demonstrate the requirements of their education. To register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) you need to be able to carry out competences to state that they meet the required skills to be able to practice professionally and safely. NMC (2008) states that you have to recognise your own limits when working and not to practice anything you are not competent in without supervision.
However to become a Social Worker requires studying for three years for an undergraduate degree or a two year postgraduate degree. The Social Workers register is “function based” rather than qualification based. Social Workers must be performing a role rather than hold a specific qualification to be on the register (SSSC, 2011). Social Workers can
References: NHS choices (2012) Euthanasia and assisted suicide. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/euthanasiaandassistedsuicide/Pages/Introduction.aspx Accessed on 26/11/13 NMC (2008) The Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council RNC (2013) Clinical governance. Available at: http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/practice/clinical_governance Accessed on 26/11/13 SSSC (2009) Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers. Dundee: Scottish Social Services Council. SSSC (2011) What is Registration? Available at: http://www.sssc.uk.com/Applying-for-registration/what-is-registration.html Accessed on: 26/10/13