The quality of preregistration practice hours is what matters, not the quantity

The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) proposal to reduce preregistration practice hours from 2,300 to 1,800 has prompted debate with recommendations due to be discussed by the NMC at its meeting this month. For some, fewer hours signal dilution; for others, overdue reform. This binary misses the point. The challenge is not how many hours students complete, but what those hours achieve.