Revalidation is a process that all nurses and midwives will need to engage with to demonstrate that they practise safely and effectively throughout their career. It is easy, straightforward and will help nurses and midwives develop as professionals. LEARN MORE

All nurses and midwives are currently required to renew their registration every three years. Revalidation will strengthen the renewal process by introducing new requirements that focus on:

• up-to-date practice and professional development
• reflection on the professional standards of practice and behaviour as set out in the Code, and
• engagement in professional discussions with other registered nurses or midwives.

Revalidation is a continuous process that nurses and midwives will engage with throughout their career. It is not a point in time activity or assessment.

Revalidation is about promoting good practice across the whole population of nurses and midwives. It’s not an assessment of a nurse or midwife’s fitness to practise, and it’s not intended to address bad practice amongst a small number of nurses and midwives. We already have fitness to practise processes in place for 

this.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council are currently piloting their proposals with a range of organisations and practice settings across the four countries of the UK.

This means that the proposals set out below are subject to change. The Nursing and Midwifery Council will finalise their proposals in October 2015. So the current Prep requirements remain in effect.

Step one: Nurses and midwives need to meet a range of revalidation requirements designed to show that they are keeping up to date and actively maintaining their fitness to practise. They should keep this evidence in a portfolio.

The proposed requirements include:

• practising a minimum number of hours
• undertaking continuing professional development (CPD)
• obtaining feedback about your practice
• reflecting on the Code, CPD and feedback about your practice and discussing these with another NMC registrant
• providing a health and character declaration, and having appropriate cover under an indemnity arrangement.

Step two: Nurses and midwives need to demonstrate to a third party that they have met the revalidation requirements. This is called obtaining confirmation.

Step three: Every three years all nurses and midwives will apply for revalidation. They will declare to the NMC that they have met the requirements and obtained confirmation. The NMC will undertake verification checks.