NMBI Voice

Everyone goes to work every day wanting to make a difference.  The professional regulation shield provides a clear framework to nurses and midwives to navigate daily challenges while maintaining clinical excellence. This discussion demystifies the role of the regulator beyond fitness to practise. We explore how the NMBI Code of Conduct serves as a foundational roadmap for every practitioner. Carol...

The regulation of professional standards in Irish nursing and midwifery is complex, often misunderstood, and critical to public protection. Ensuring that the regulator remains impartial and focused on public interest requires expertise that goes beyond the professions themselves. This episode tackles the essential role of lay members in maintaining high standards and robust governance within statu...

Irish nurses and midwives face constant pressure to innovate and improve the nation's health system while maintaining high standards of care. Achieving genuine policy change requires the lived experience of front-line professionals to be heard and acted upon. This episode delves into the critical role nurses and midwives play in shaping high-level health policy, leading workforce reform, and embra...

Vulnerable people in our society face significant barriers when accessing essential healthcare services. These non-traditional challenges require nurses and midwives to step outside conventional clinical settings and adopt autonomous, flexible roles to ensure that necessary care is delivered. This episode explores how two healthcare professionals are meeting patients where they are, breaking down...

Maintaining the highest standards of clinical care while navigating the complex requirements of professional regulation can feel like a daunting challenge for healthcare practitioners in a rapidly evolving system. Professionals often struggle to balance their daily clinical duties with the overarching need for strategic growth and public safety. This episode explores the vital intersection of clin...

The healthcare landscape constantly faces complex challenges, demanding innovative solutions to enhance patient care and professional practice across the clinical frontline. This episode delves into the world of healthcare innovation, exploring how nurses and midwives are uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change in service delivery, patient experience, and operational efficiency. The discuss...

Regulation of the nursing and midwifery professions is often viewed as a detached, rules-based process, yet its true role is to protect the public by actively supporting the professional development of its practitioners. This balance is critical to maintain the public's trust in these highly-regarded caring professions, and it requires a forward-thinking approach that embraces both the science and...

Nurses and midwives need clarity on regulation's dual role protecting public whilst actively supporting their professional development. Carolyn Donohoe, NMBI CEO, explains how right touch regulation balances proportionate standards with fairness, why undergraduate education now incorporates equality diversity inclusion and social determinants of health, and how strategic focus on plain English com...

Fitness to practise sounds intimidating—and for nurses and midwives facing complaints, it can feel like the hardest side of regulation.   Marie-Therese Hackett is NMBI’s Inquiries Legal Adviser, with 20 years’ experience in the legal profession working across criminal law, civil litigation, and healthcare regulation.   Marie-Therese’s professional background provides a strong foundation for ensuri...

Kathyann Barrett is joined by Dr Ray Healy, NMBI’s Director of Registration, to unpack one of the regulator’s core functions: maintaining the nursing and midwifery register.  From Irish and EU-trained nurses with streamlined pathways, to UK applicants navigating post-Brexit changes, to the thousands of nurses arriving from India, the Philippines, and beyond, Ray explains the complexities of recogn...

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 s...

In the debut episode of NMBI Voice, host Kathyann Barrett is joined by Lorraine Clarke Bishop, Interim Director of Education, Policy, and Standards at the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, to explore the newly updated Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives. Together they trace Lorraine’s own journey into nursing and reflect on how the Code first...

The brand new NMBI Voice podcast covers the key changes and challenges facing our profession today. Whether you're dealing with new regulations, maintaining your professional development, or navigating ethical decisions in your daily practice, NMBI Voice breaks down complex topics into practical guidance you can use. You'll hear from NMBI experts and colleagues who understand the realities of our...