Revalidation articles

How to revalidate: a step-by-step guide for nurses

Your guide to the NMC revalidation process from start to finish in 8 reader-friendly sections
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Nurse prepares paperwork for revalidation

Your guide to the NMC revalidation process from start to finish in 8 reader-friendly sections

Picture: iStock

Revalidation is the process of renewing and maintaining registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The process, which must be completed every three years, encourages nurses to keep up to date in their professional practice to support safe and effective patient care.

Our short guide has been written by experts in the field and provides ‘real-life’ practical examples.

It explains each step of the revalidation process from start to finish in eight reader-friendly chapters, as follows.

Find out more

An introduction to revalidation

What I learned from the revalidation process

Revalidation – getting your practice-related feedback right

Reflective accounts for revalidation

How to succeed at the confirmer stage of revalidation

1. How to prepare for revalidation

  • Find out what you need to do to make your revalidation as straightforward as possible.
  • Get ready to revalidate by ensuring you have an NMC Online account and know your revalidation date.
  • Set up a paper or online portfolio to record your progress.
  • You can use the RCNi portfolio to track your progress.

2. How to record evidence and practice hours

  • All nurses need to provide evidence of a minimum of 450 practice hours over the previous three years.
  • For those revalidating as a nurse and midwife, it is 900 hours.
  • Find out how and what details you should include.

3. How to record continuing professional development

  • Revalidation calls for all registrants to undertake 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) during the three years prior to their revalidation date.
  • Discover which records you should be keeping to prove you have met this element of revalidation.

4. How to record practice-related feedback

  • To revalidate, you must provide five examples of practice-related feedback about your individual practice or about your ward, unit, team or organisation.
  • Find out about the variety of feedback that should be obtained and the best way to record it.

5. How to write a reflective account

  • Your five reflective accounts are an essential part of revalidation and can relate to your CPD, feedback or an event or experience in your practice.
  • Read how to go about writing these accounts, how to get the most out of it, and how your learning should relate to The Code.
  • More on Revalidation requirements: Reflection and reflective discussion from the RCN
Reflective discussion is part of revalidation. 
Picture: iStock

6. How to engage in a reflective discussion

  • Once your portfolio is completed, you are required to take part in a reflective discussion with an NMC registrant, covering your written reflective accounts.
  • Find out how it should be structured and how it must be recorded on the relevant NMC form.

7. How to obtain confirmation

  • You must demonstrate to a confirmer that you have completed all the revalidation requirements.
  • Read who the NMC recommends this confirmer should be and what information they need to be told about.

8. How to submit your application

  • Find out how and when you must submit your application to maintain your registration.
  • As part of the revalidation process, you must make health and character self-declarations and declare that you have appropriate cover under an indemnity arrangement.

This article was updated in February 2020

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