There are three Core Career Pathways to help prepare and develop the nursing and midwifery workforces in Northren Ireland.
These three pathways offer diverse career options that are interlinked to empower staff to consider their career journey. They are structured yet adaptable, enabling movement between career options whilst guiding learning and development for professional advancement.
The model aims to promote a professional fulfilment and a highly skilled workforce to enhance patient care and treatment outcomes.
The Core Career Pathways are presented in the Diagram (with a full description in the accordian) below, it is also available in pdf format.
Clinical Practice Pathway
Clinical Practice Pathway Overview
| LEVEL OF PRACTICE | ROLE FRAMEWORK | INDICATIVE EDUCATION REQUIREMENT | ASSESSMENT TOOL | |
| Assistant / Support Worker | 2 – 4 | Nursing Assistant
Maternity Support Worker: Standards |
||
| Registered Practitioner General or Specialist Area | 5 | Registered Practitioner | Degree | Level 5 |
| Senior Practitioner General or Specialist Area | 6 | Senior Practitioner | Degree Post Grad |
Level 6 |
| Clinical Specialist/ Practitioner With Special Interest |
7 | Specialist Nurse | Post Grad Masters |
Level 7 |
| Advanced Practitioner | 8 | Advanced Nurse Practitioner | Masters | Level 8 |
| Consultant | 9 | Consultant Nurse | Masters Doctoral | Level 9 |
Education & Research Pathway
Under development
| LEVEL OF PRACTICE |
ROLE FRAMEWORK | INDICATIVE EDUCATION REQUIREMENT | ASSESSMENT TOOL | |
| Assistant / Support Worker | 2-4 | Nursing Assistant | ||
| Registered Practitioner General or Specialist Area | 5 | Degree | ||
| Senior Practitioner General or Specialist Area | 6 | Degree Post Grad |
||
| Practice Education Facilitator Clinical Research | 7 | Post Grad Masters |
||
| Lecturer/Practice Education Lead Senior Researcher | 8 | Masters | ||
| Director of Education Professor |
9 | Masters Doctoral |
Operational Management Pathway
Under development
| LEVEL OF PRACTICE |
ROLE FRAMEWORK | INDICATIVE EDUCATION REQUIREMENT | ASSESSMENT TOOL | |
| Assistant / Support Worker | 2- 4 | Nursing Assistant | ||
| Registered Practitioner General or Specialist Area | 5 | Degree | ||
| Senior Practitioner General or Specialist Area | 6 | Degree Post Grad |
||
| Ward Manager/Team Leader Service Manager | 7 | Ward Sister | Post Grad Masters |
|
| Professional Lead/Policy Lead Assistant Director | 8 | Masters | ||
| Chief Officer/ Executive/Director |
9 | Masters Doctoral |