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<p>Health visitors are part of the nursing profession and regulated by the Nursing
and Midwifery Council (NMC). Health visitors are qualified and registered nurses or
midwives who have undertaken an approved training programme in Specialist Community
Public Health Nursing - Health Visiting.</p><p>The NMC has the general function of
promoting high standards of education and coordinating all stages of education to
ensure that health visitors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes
essential for professional practice, including continuous professional development
(CPD). The NMC set the standards of education and training for the nursing profession
expected at undergraduate and postgraduate level and approve curricula set by individual
higher education institutes. In so doing, they set out the knowledge, skills and behaviours
that both postgraduate and undergraduate nurses must be able to demonstrate.</p><p>CPD
is a term used to describe a number of different training and development activities
which may be required for the purposes of professional practice in the National Health
Service. The NMC requires 35 hours of CPD relevant to scope of practice in the three
year period since registration was last renewed, or joining the register.</p><p>The
NMC are in the process of rewriting their standards. For example, in the new pre-registration
nursing standards the NMC specify that registrants must have proficiencies in identifying
risk and vulnerability, in all settings and across the lifespan and would expect post-natal
depression to be included in the curriculum.</p>
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