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Revalidation will help to identify nurses who are struggling, says chief nurse

Dame Eileen Sills said senior nurses should have 'robust reflective discussions' with junior colleagues, which will help to identify problems

Revalidation will help senior nurses to identify colleagues who are struggling at work, according to Guy's and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust chief nurse Dame Eileen Sills.

Ms Sills was speaking at a conference on the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s new code and revalidation system in London today.

Under revalidation, which is due to be introduced at the end of the year, nurses will have to gain confirmation from a third party, such as their line manager, that they have met the revalidation requirements.

A senior nurse who is confirming a junior colleague will be expected to discuss the latter’s revalidation portfolio with them and talk about how they have reflected on their practice.

Ms Sills, whose trust is one of the pilot sites for revalidation, said: ‘A person who is confirming another member of staff to stay on the register can have very robust reflective discussions with them and can pick up people who are struggling a bit.’

She added that the primary aim of revalidation is to protect the public, but ‘you can still have cases like Victorino Chua which have an impact on organisations for years to come’.

Chua was jailed for a minimum of 35 years today after being found guilty of poisoning and murdering patients at Stepping Hill Hospital in Greater Manchester.

Ms Sills said: ‘You will never totally protect but revalidation will add an extra and important layer into the process.’