Nurse reference checks — NMC conduct, clinical behaviour and fitness to practise

What nurse employment references should cover

A nurse employment reference should cover clinical conduct on the ward, approach to patient care and dignity, adherence to NMC professional standards, relationships with patients, families and colleagues, any disciplinary proceedings or capability concerns, any patient safety incidents involving the nurse, safeguarding suitability, and whether the referee would have any concerns about the candidate's fitness to continue practising as a nurse. A reference that asks only about employment dates, attendance and general performance misses every question that matters for a clinical appointment.

NMC fitness to practise and employment references

The NMC has a fitness to practise framework that defines the standards of conduct, competence and health expected of registered nurses and midwives. Many conduct concerns are handled internally by employers without NMC referral — meaning the nurse's registration status gives no indication of the concern. A reference with a specific fitness to practise question is the only mechanism available to a prospective employer for surfacing these undisclosed concerns.

RefAssure nursing templates include a mandatory fitness to practise question asking whether the referee has any concerns about the candidate's continuing suitability to hold NMC registration, combined with mandatory safeguarding suitability and disciplinary history questions. Every nurse reference generates a PDF with full audit trail — CQC-compliant and NHS Employment Check Standards-ready from 99p per reference.