Nursing and midwifery revalidation

Information for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital's nurses, midwives, managers and other relevant staff. The webpage aims to provide a resource to advise staff on the steps nurses and midwives need to meet for the new Nursing and Midwifery Council's (NMC) Revalidation requirements.

Introduction

Welcome to the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust’s Nursing and Midwifery Revalidation page. This information is essential in providing support in you in meeting the NMC's new Revalidation requirements.

All nurses, midwives and nursing associates (registrants) in the UK have to complete the  Revalidation process every 3 years to maintain their registration with the NMC. Revalidation was been designed to be straightforward and to help registrants demonstrate that they practise safely and effectively.

Although revalidation will take place on a rolling basis every 3 years, registrants will be required to meet the requirements on a continuous basis and just not as a 'point in time' assessment.

Registrants are responsible for meeting their revalidation requirements.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council have an informative website to help you with revalidation and this contains several resources which include:

The NMC revalidation requirements to be completed over a repeating 3 year period include:

  • 450 practice hours, or 900 if revalidating as both a nurse and midwife 450 practice hours, or 900 if revalidating as both a nurse and midwife
  • 35 hours CPD including 20 hours participatory learning (learning with others)
  • Five pieces of practice related feedback
  • Five written reflective accounts (on the template provided by the NMC)
  • Reflective discussion (using the NMC template provided)
  • Health and character declaration to be provided via NMC Online
  • Professional indemnity arrangement via NMC Online
  • Confirmation (using the NMC template provided)
  • Reflective discussion (using the NMC template provided)

As with all NMC registrants in the UK, registrants employed at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on both the Chelsea and West Middlesex sites and off site and community clinics will be required to meet all of the criteria by the revalidation dates set by the NMC in order to maintain their registration.

Revalidation requirements

What must nurses and midwives do now to meet revalidation requirements?

  • Sign up to NMC Online. If you require further information about ‘NMC Online’ the NMC have produced an information booklet which can be found on their webpage. NMC Online is a secure service which allows you to manage your registration online. 

For example, you can use your NMC Online account to:

  1. update your details
  2. pay your fee or manage your Direct Debit
  3. view your registration status
  4. renew your registration
  • Know their renewal date on NMC Online. 
  • Read the guidance and supporting resources. 
  • Set a date to finish compiling a portfolio of revalidation evidence in time for a confirmation meeting with a confirmer every 3 years. 
  • Arrange a meeting for a reflective discussion with another nurse or midwife on the NMC register.  It is recommended this is the manager who undertakes an annual professional development review or appraisal, although this can be another nurse or midwife. 
  • To arrange and complete a meeting with a 'confirmer' who can approve the portfolio and in advance of the revalidation month. This is likely to be registrant's manager. 
  • Make an application for revalidation to the NMC via their NMC Online account.  This is only possible 60 days before the Revalidation application date the NMC has set the registrant. The application will take the form of a series of questions and the registrant will not be required to submit anything to the NMC—unless asked to do so. 
  • Following the application, nurses and midwives must check their correspondence after this time in case they have been selected by the NMC for a random audit of their application. The registrant may need to provide the NMC with further information if requested.  The NMC have produced guidance to assist you if this is relevant to you.
  • The annual fee must reach the NMC at the time required before the Revalidation month as the application will not be processed if the fee is not received in time—read further information.
  • Unsure about indemnity? See this fact sheet or visit the NMC website.

Compiling a portfolio

In order to demonstrate these requirements the NMC have advised registrants to keep a portfolio of evidence of their work. The NMC provides most of the templates needed for the sections of the portfolio.   

We have created our own Trust template here for nurses and midwives.  You can type directly onto this and save the typed document on your network folder before printing it out and inserting your evidence.  Alternatively you can print this and fill it in by hand. 

Alternatively the NMC have produced documents you can download to compile your portfolio and use.

To help you understand what a portfolio can look like the NMC have produced some example portfolio documents.

Revalidation builds on existing renewal requirements by elements which encourage nurses and midwives to reflect on the role of the Code in their practice and demonstrate that they are ‘living’ the standards set out within it.

Using e-portfolios

If you use an electronic portfolio for your revalidation, the NMC have published guidance to assist you.

NMC revalidation website  

As noted above, the NMC Revalidation website has a resource of helpful guidance, information and examples to advise the steps needed to meet the NMC's revalidation requirements.

There is a useful guidance document to use which guides nurses and midwives through the steps required. Look at ‘How to Revalidate with the NMC’.

It is a priority for all nurses registrants registered with the NMC to establish an NMC Online account if they have not already done so. This will be the area on the NMC website where the revalidation application when it is completed will be submitted by registrants.  A registrant cannot revalidate without an NMC Online account Link here. Opening an account takes only a few minutes.

Some helpful new guidance from the NMC includes:

Who can be a confirmer?  Look at the NMC's online confirmation tool

If you need help or advice

Ask your Manager, Matron, Lead Nurse or Midwife or Practice Development Nurse to talk to you about revalidation if you need any information.  As all registrants have to revalidate and have prepared portfolios if you are not sure also link in with other registrants to find out how they have completed their revalidation.

The NMC has also produced a support guidance sheet to help you meet revalidation requirements if required.

The NMC can also advise if you have any further general queries.

Paying your annual fees (not just relevant in a revalidation year)

Alongside Revalidation, the NMC produced more information regarding making your annual payment on time.  You must pay your fee by the time specified whether you are renewing your registration or completing your revalidation.

Contributors
melanievh swagdaddyabs George Vasilopoulos