According to the NMC, a nursing or midwifery student is fit to practise when they “have the skills, knowledge, character and health to work in their profession safely and effectively.”

Examples of circumstances that might call into question your fitness to practise as a nursing or midwifery student could include:

• character (such as convictions, plagiarism, falsifying records);
• unmanaged or untreated health problems; and/or
• misconduct (abuse of patients or colleagues); or
• lack of competence.

Health or disabilities should not normally lead to fitness to practise concerns provided that 1. it is managed and 2. declared to a training provider.

The NMC makes a point of saying that when it assesses health conditions and/or disabilities, it will check whether a nursing or midwifery student has disclosed health conditions and/or disabilities to their education institution.

Failure to do so may lead to a finding of impaired fitness to practise on grounds of dishonesty (therefore misconduct) and based on the fact that adverse health itself might have impacted on a student’s ability to practise safely and effectively.

Universities or other training providers are required to have a local fitness to practise panel to consider health or character issues, and to protect the public.

Local fitness to practise panels should only be used if a student’s health or disability is likely to compromise or has compromised their ability to meet the required competencies and practise safely.

If necessary, a local fitness to practise panel will meet to make a decision about your suitability to remain on the programme. This would apply if your attitude or behaviour is such that it calls into question your good character.

If a local fitness to practise panel makes a finding of impaired fitness to practise it can:

• agree undertakings
• apply conditions
• suspend the student from the medical course
• expel the student from the medical course