When the regulator updated its proficiency standards for nurse education it was seen as a step forward, but now there are fears training has become too generic

It is almost five years since the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) overhauled its proficiency standards, which provide the basis for nurse education. It heralded a new dawn for the profession. Out went the separate requirements for the four different fields of nursing and in their place came a generic set of standards designed to equip nurses for the fast-changing nature of 21st century care.