Nursing Revalidation and Covid 19
Nursing Revalidation and Covid 19
Are you a Nurse, Midwife or Nursing Associate looking to Revalidate post-pandemic?
The impact of Covid 19 over the last couple of years – social distancing and increased workloads – made it difficult for many Nurses to find the necessary time to Revalidate. Extensions were put into place during 2020 but now, the normal Revalidation process applies. Our latest blog offers a refresher on everything you need to know about Nursing Revalidation, including advice on where to look for further support if you are unsure on your own personal timelines post-pandemic.
Updating skills
Nursing revalidation is a key part of a Nurse or Midwife’s career journey as it allows them to update their knowledge and develop new skills, alongside understanding the changing needs of the public and fellow Healthcare Professionals for the continued ability to practise their role safely and effectively.
Discuss and share
Nursing revalidation also offers Nurses and Midwives the opportunity to work together to share, discuss, reflect and improve their working practices, which in turn, strengthens public confidence in the Nursing and Midwifery professions.
Revalidation – the requirements
In order to revalidate, the NMC has a number of requirements for each three-year registration period:
• 450 practice hours over three years (or 900 hours if you have a dual registration as a midwife and a nurse)
• 35 hours CPD including 20 hours participatory learning (participatory learning is taken with one or more professionals or in a larger group setting).
• A minimum of five pieces of practice-related feedback
• A minimum of five written reflective accounts on your CPD, and/or practice-related feedback, and/or an event or experience in your own professional practice and how this relates to the Code
• A reflective discussion with another NMC registrant covering your five written reflective accounts
• Health and character declaration
• Declaration that you have a profession indemnity arrangement
• A third-party confirmation that you have complied with the revalidation requirements
Your application to revalidate must be submitted before you renew your registration at the end of your current three-year registration period. Please ensure you submit your application by the first day of the month in which your registration expires.
Step-by-step guide to how to Revalidate
Register online with the NMC. Once registered, you’ll be able to check your registration status, renewal dates and update any information required. You can register here.
Evidence that you have met your revalidation requirements in a portfolio. We recommend an e-portfolio and the NMC have a range of forms and templates from logging your practice hours to keeping a feedback log template.
Stay ahead of any updates, especially with regards to Covid-19 as any developments may impact your revalidation.
Read and understand the NMC Code that presents the professional standards that nurses, midwives and nursing associates must uphold in order to be registered to practise in the UK. Find all the information you need here.
What happens if you don’t revalidate
It’s so important that you revalidate in time, otherwise your registration will lapse and you will no longer be a registered Nurse or Midwife. This means it is an offence to practise as a nurse or midwife, or to mislead people into thinking you are on the register.
When revalidating, you must also ensure you meet the revalidation requirements or your application could be refused.
Revalidation and Covid-19
As previously mentioned, during the height of the pandemic, extra concessions (12-week extensions) were put in place for those needing to Revalidate, but there are no extra extensions now (from October 2020). If for any reason you are struggling to meet your Revalidation deadline or previous Nursing Revalidation extensions have affected your timescales, you can speak to one of our Recruitment Advisors for guidance* (email us: info@id-medical.com) or you can email the NMC: revalidation.escalation@nmc-uk.org using the subject ‘Help with NMC Online’. Please include details such as your name, your NMC Pin, Revalidation application date and details of your circumstances where possible.
We hope our blog on Nursing Revalidation has been a useful refresher for you, and don’t forget, we’re on hand to help our Nurses and Midwives with all aspects of your Revalidation!
We look forward to hearing from you!
*Revalidation advice, guidance and support for Healthcare Professionals registered with ID Medical.
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