MP for Brent East, Dawn Butler, is set to introduce a bill in Parliament that would protect the title of ‘nurse’.
Under the House of Commons’ 10-minute rule on February 11 she will present the bill that, if supported and made into law, would prevent someone from operating under the title of 'nurse' unless they are on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register.
Currently, it is illegal for someone to call themselves a “registered nurse” without the relevant qualifications, but the title of “nurse” alone is not protected by law.
The bill acknowledges existing protections for other titles, such as dental and veterinary nurses, which require registration under a different regulator. They will remain protected separately.
Commenting on the upcoming bill, Butler said: “I have long argued that it is absolutely vital that we truly respect the experience and expertise of a registered nurse. The public should be able to trust that when someone calls themselves a nurse, they have the right professional qualifications, training and accountability.
“Right now, anyone can use the title — even those who have been struck off the NMC register for serious misconduct. This is unacceptable and risks patient safety.”
“Now, with a Labour [government] in power, I hope we can work closely with the government to bring about this long-overdue change.” she added.
Butler previously attempted to amend the Health and Care Bill to prevent the use of the title “nurse” without NMC registration, unsuccessfully.
Royal College of Nursing response
Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) welcomed Ms Butler’s latest attempt to protect the title.
“Nursing is a safety critical profession, and the title ‘nurse’ needs to be protected,” said Ranger.
“Patients deserve to know that when they are being treated by a registered nurse, that they can trust the knowledge, professionalism, and clinical expertise that brings.
She added: “We will continue to urge government and parties across the political spectrum to get behind this campaign, ensuring our highly-skilled profession gets the respect it deserves.”
At the 2022 RCN annual congress, a resolution was passed to urge the union and professional body’s council to lobby legislators to make 'nurse' a protected title.
The latest drive to protect the nursing title has been led by Professor Alison Leary and Paul Trevatt as part of their #ProtectNurse campaign.
Explaining the need for the change, Leary and Trevatt said in a joint statement: “Our research published in 2017 revealed that nursing job titles such as advanced nurse practitioner and district nurse were being used by people with no nursing qualifications or professional nursing registration.
“This means they cannot be held to account with a nursing regulator. As we researched further we were approached by patients and families who felt they had been misled, sometimes with catastrophic consequences.”
Industry response
Nurse Cheryl Barton also commented on the bill: “As a long-term member of the Royal College of Nursing I am in full support of Dawn Butler’s Private Members Bill and I urge all my nursing colleagues and particularly our BAMAN members to show support for this bill.
“Nursing remains one of the most trusted professions. The public and our patients must be given the reassurance that their Nurse is one of the 700,000 of us that are regulated on the Nursing and Midwifery Register.”
