NMC: Principles to support anti-racism in midwifery and nursing education and practice

Summary

Racism and other forms of discrimination not only affect people receiving care, but also many midwifery and nursing professionals who provide it.

Everyone deserves to receive equitable, culturally safe, anti-racist, unbiased care.

Students and nursing and midwifery professionals deserve to learn and work in psychologically safe environments where discriminatory behaviours and biases are called out, challenged, and not tolerated.

Anti-racism is fundamental to patient safety and public protection.

Content

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) anti-racism principles set out some of the ways educators, organisations, registrants and employers can address concerns around inequities in care and racism across health and social care practice, education, and regulation.

The principles are designed to:

• Strengthen cultural safety, curiosity and respect in practice and education
• Explicitly advance meaningful, sustained anti-racist, bias-aware practice.

The principles are organised around four areas. 

• Culture, equity and inclusion.
• Learning, education and workforce development.
• Community and person-centred practice.
• Assurance, accountability and sector improvement.