Kathyann Barrett speaks with Professional Officer Mary Devane about NMBI’s new Professional Competence Scheme and what it means for nurses and midwives. 

Mary reflects on her wide-ranging career — from training in Cork and working in London to public health nursing and practice development — and how her own commitment to continuous learning shaped her perspective. Together, they unpack the pilot scheme: the balance of CPD hours and practice hours, the importance of reflective learning, the role of employers in supporting competence, and how the scheme will be audited and rolled out nationally by 2027. 

Throughout the conversation, the focus is on maintaining safe practice, aligning with the Code, and showcasing the professionalism and pride that underpin nursing and midwifery.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

• How curiosity and continuous learning shaped Mary’s career and passion for education.
• Why NMBI developed the Professional Competence Scheme — and what it aims to achieve.
• The balance of CPD hours, practice hours, and reflection in maintaining competence.
• Why reflection matters — and how it turns everyday learning into safer practice.
• How the pilot scheme is being tested across 37 sites and what early feedback reveals.
• The role of employers in supporting nurses and midwives to maintain competence.
• How mandatory training fits into CPD, and why it’s not just a tick-box exercise.
• What future audits will look like — and how the scheme will be rolled out by 2027.
• Why this is ultimately about pride in the professions, accountability, and public trust.

GUEST DETAILS

Mary Devane is a Professional Officer, Education, Policy and Standards Department at NMBI

MORE INFORMATION

NMBI is the statutory body which sets the standards for the education, registration and professional conduct of nurses and midwives. We advise on how nurses and midwives should provide care to patients, their families and society. Our mission is to protect the public and the integrity of the professions of nursing and midwifery through the promotion of high standards of education, training, and professional conduct. We achieve this by providing leadership to registered nurses and midwives to support them to deliver safe care through innovative and proactive professional regulation. 
 
Our functions in safeguarding the public involve establishing and maintaining the Register of Nurses and Midwives. We also establish procedures and criteria for the assessment and registration of nurses and midwives. Visit the Registration section of our website to learn more. Additionally, we set the standards and requirements for nursing and midwifery education programmes. We approve education programmes and further education programmes for the purposes for nurses and midwives. Visit NMBI.ie to learn more. 

QUOTES

• This is really about the promotion of safe practice, because ultimately that’s what we’re about — making sure that nurses and midwives are protecting the public through their practice. – Mary T. Devane
• We really want people to reflect and to consider how they need to practise safely and align that to the Code — not just turn it into a tick-box exercise. – Mary T. Devane
• Sometimes when we do reflect, we don’t know what we’re going to open up in our learning — it can be like a Pandora’s box, but in a good way. – Mary T. Devane
• Employers who support nurses and midwives to maintain competence don’t just improve staff retention — they improve the quality of care for everyone.  – Mary T. Devane
• It’s really a chance to show what you’re doing anyway — to showcase the professionalism and pride that nurses and midwives already bring to their work every day. – Mary T. Devane

KEYWORDS

#Nursing #Midwifery #ProfessionalCompetence #CPD #ReflectivePractice #SafePractice #HealthcareLeadership #NMBIVoice #NursingEducation #PatientSafety #ContinuousLearning