Ready to tackle revalidation? Here’s how to use your COVID-19 nursing experience

Preparing for revalidation: your next steps

Get started This sounds simple but for all the procrastinators among you, the first step is often the hardest. But remember that once you take the first step, you are on a journey. As with all journeys, momentum gradually builds, so challenge yourself to make a start today. Whether this is reviewing the NMC requirements for revalidation, writing a reflective account or asking for feedback, just give it a try. If the walls of resistance come up, don’t beat yourself up; instead try imagining the relief you will feel when you are properly underway. Remind yourself that every single moment you spend on revalidation is one step nearer to the finish line.

Find a buddy Not everyone likes to take a journey on their own, so teaming up with a colleague may help. Even if their revalidation isn’t due in the coming months, having someone to be accountable to can help with your motivation. If there are a few of you, you could set up a WhatsApp group or similar to support each other. Just make sure you use this type of resource appropriately to discuss your learning, as opposed to discussing scenarios with specific patients.

Think outside the box It’s unlikely there is a single nurse in the country whose knowledge and skill set hasn’t expanded this year. You may not have attended formal CPD events or training courses, but there are so many other ways you learn. Take a moment to consider the clinical skills or aspects of your role that you know now but didn’t at the start of the year, then reflect on how you gained this knowledge. Donning and doffing personal protective equipment, for example – did you attend a huddle or group session? What other informal training sessions happened in your clinical area? What about systems or new pieces of equipment – how did you master the confidence and ability to use these safely? Once you start looking back over the past few months, you may see that you have attended and participated in lots of informal learning events, all of which have broadened your knowledge and skills.

Reflect on it Effective communication is a vital part of every nurse’s toolbox. During the pandemic, when physical meetings and contact have been limited, communicating sensitively and effectively with patients, colleagues, relatives and other members of the multidisciplinary team has become even more essential. What have you learned about yourself during these times and how can you use this to improve your practice going forward? Put pen to paper – or fingers to keyboard – and you have the start of a reflective account. Not only will this count towards your revalidation, it may even help you make sense of all that you have been through so far during the pandemic.