Menopause

All nurses should be able to demonstrate some understanding of the impact of the menopause and provide support and advice to women and men. Those working specifically in women’s health need to understand the safety and efficacy of modern therapy options and be aware of the myriad of complementary therapies. They also need to balance these options with the fact that for many women the menopause is an event that needs no intervention, and all that’s required is general health promotion advice.

NICE defines menopause as:

"Menopause is when a woman stops having periods as she reaches the end of her natural reproductive life. This is not usually abrupt, but a gradual process during which women experience peri-menopause before reaching post-menopause (NICE, 2024)

We have published the following guidance:

• Menopause and Long COVID (2026). Women are disproportionately affected by Long COVID, and as the peak incidence occurs between the ages of 35-49, there may be overlap with symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. This guidance, based on available evidence and clinical expertise, aims to outline principles of assessment, diagnosis, management and support to facilitate self-help and recovery. See: Menopause and Long COVID.
• Menopause (2025). This publication aims to help all health care professionals gain awareness of what happens to the body during menopause and in the post-menopausal stage, and examines the impact of these changes on women, outlining the options for health after menopause. See: Menopause.
• RCN Position Statement: Menopause and you at work (2023). The RCN believes that everyone has a right to access support at work, around the menopause, to enable them to continue in employment and ensure they maintain a healthy life, within any healthcare setting. This position statement is for all nurses, midwives, nursing associates and nursing support worker working in any health and social care setting in any of the four countries in relation to menopause at work. See. RCN Position Statement: Menopause and you at work
• Nurse specialist in menopause (2022). The menopause happens to all women, however the degree of its impact on a woman’s quality of life and the symptoms experienced are very individual. The role of a specialist in menopause was included in the 2015 NICE guidelines on managing menopause, however the detail of how this role might be implemented in practice was less clear and subsequently the British Menopause Society (BMS) produced a guide for all health care professionals. This updated booklet builds on the BMS agreed standards, focusing on the options for nurses who may choose a career pathway towards becoming a specialist practitioner in menopause. See: Nurse specialist in menopause.

A free resource for training is also available, see: Menopause awareness elearning session.