New Nursing and Midwifery Career and Development Model launched to strengthen NI workforce

Professor Linda Kelly, NIPEC Chief Executive; Health Minister Mike Nesbitt; Professor Maria McIlgorm, Chief Nursing Office

A new Career and Development Model designed to support professional growth and long-term workforce retention across Northern Ireland’s nursing and midwifery professions has been formally launched.

The model, unveiled this week at the Northern Ireland Practice & Education Council for Nursing & Midwifery (NIPEC) annual conference, provides a clear and structured framework for nurses, midwives, students and support staff at every stage of their career.

Built around two core components — Nursing & Midwifery Careers and the Learning and Development Framework — the model outlines competency-based career pathways and the knowledge, skills and experience required to progress within them.

It is supported by a comprehensive development framework designed to help individuals and organisations plan meaningful learning, training and professional development.

‘We cannot deliver reform without investing in and supporting our workforce’ — Health Minister

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said the launch closely aligns with his three-year strategic Reset Plan, announced earlier this year.

He said:

“Earlier this year I launched my three-year strategic Reset Plan built on three pillars: Stabilisation; Reform and Delivery.

“These are practical steps to restore confidence in our system and deliver care that is timely, safe, and equitable.

“Nurses and midwives are at the heart of this. Yet we cannot deliver reform without investing in and supporting our workforce, encouraging career development and focusing on workforce retention. That is why the launch of the Career Development Model for Nursing and Midwifery is so important.

“This model provides clear pathways for progression and personal development, whether in clinical practice, leadership, education, or research. It sends a powerful message: we value your expertise, and we will support your growth.”

The model is intended for the “wider Nursing and Midwifery family”, including assistants, support workers and students, across all settings and sectors in Northern Ireland. It also aims to enhance benchmarking of knowledge and skills, ensuring safe, effective care underpinned by strong professional development.

A ‘milestone’ for the profession

Professor Maria McIlgorm, Chief Nursing Officer, said the launch was a pivotal moment for the profession.

She said:

“This launch is a milestone for Nursing and Midwifery in Northern Ireland and a key step in delivering on the priorities as set out in Shaping Our Future:

“The Strategic Vision for Nursing and Midwifery 2023 - 2028. It reflects our commitment to invest in people and to maximise the potential of the nursing and midwifery workforce to create a modern, sustainable health and social care system.

“The NI Career and Development model provides structured routes for advancement across three core career pathways - clinical practice, operational management, and education and research - each making professional development visible and achievable.

“It offers a new approach to continuing professional development / education and commissioning. It will allow us to build and enable the workforce of tomorrow to more effectively meet the needs of the population.

“The HSC Reset Plan, launched in July, focuses on how we will stabilise, transform and deliver services to meet the current and future needs of our population. Crucially, this model underpins the reset agenda by connecting workforce strategy to service redesign.”

Co-produced with nurses and midwives across NI

Professor Linda Kelly, NIPEC Chief Executive, praised the extensive collaboration behind the model’s development.

She said:

“This new NI Career and Development Model for Nursing and Midwifery has been co-produced with extensive engagement from nurses and midwives across a wide range of roles, including students, nursing assistants, maternity support workers, and registered practitioners. It is fitting for the model to have been launched at the NIPEC conference with many colleagues present who helped develop it.”

The Department of Health says the new model will help shape a modernised, sustainable workforce capable of meeting both current and future healthcare needs across Northern Ireland.

The Career & Development Model can be accessed in full nursingandmidwiferycareersni.hscni.net/