NMC Revalidation Guide

Table of contents

• Revalidation requirements
• Extensions
• Practice hours
• Return to practice if registration lapses
• Confirmer and reflective discussion partner
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

To revalidate with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) you need to meet a range of revalidation requirements to show that you are keeping your skills and knowledge up to date and maintaining safe and effective practice:

• 450 practice hours, or 900 hours if renewing two registrations [for example, as both a nurse (RN) and midwife (RM)]
• 35 hours of CPD including 20 hours of participatory learning
• 5 pieces of practice-related feedback
• 5 written reflective accounts
• Reflective Practice Accounts for discussion
• Health and character declaration
• Professional indemnity arrangement
• Confirmation

Links to some of guidance produced by the NMC to help you with your revalidation can be seen in Box 1. Additional information is provided below.

Box 1: Relevant NMC Guidance

Unfortunately, because of the legislation governing what the NMC does there is no way around the fact that if you are unable to complete the revalidation process your registration will automatically lapse.

However, if you have 750 hours practice hours over 5 years as well as 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) you can leave the register and immediately apply to rejoin the register – more information is available here. You may need to provide some additional information such as references.

If you meet all the requirements for revalidation but need more time to complete the paperwork, individuals are encouraged to reach out to NMC via the revalidation email (revalidation.escalation@nmc.org.uk) to request an extension. Extensions will be given on an individual basis. A key question they will ask is whether you are likely to meet revalidation requirements by the end of the extension. The length of extension given will be dependent on individual circumstances but is normally four weeks.

To revalidate registrants, must have the required practice hours – 450 hours. If you are a Registered Nurse (RN) & a Registered Midwife (RM), this is 450 hours for each.

Practice hours include using your nursing skills and knowledge for management, education, leadership, a desk-based role or a volunteer role, not just to clinical hours in direct patient contact. (Box 2).

Box 2: Examples of non-clinical practice hours

During the early days of the covid-19 pandemic the NMC set up a temporary register. Any hours you did while on the temporary register count towards revalidation. For example, many people on the temporary register are working at immunisation centres.

If you don’t have 450 hours in the previous three years but have 750 hours in the preceding five years you will need to let your registration lapse and then reapply to re-register. The 750 hours need to be from a time you were on the NMC register but can include hours on the temporary register which was in place early on in the covid pandemic.

As stated above, there is no way around the fact that if you are unable to complete the revalidation process your registration will automatically lapse. Information about returning to practice is available at: https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/returning-to-the-register/.

If you are off the register for more than five years you will need to do a return to practice course or test of competence (MCQ & OSCE) – these both measure your skills, knowledge and competence against the NMC education standards. The return to practice course is individualised based on your learning needs. You can also choose to do a return to practice course if you have been off the register for less than five years

There is a cost associated with both return to practice options.

You may be concerned about how to chose a confirmer and/or your reflective discussion partner, particularly if you are on long term sick leave. Your confirmer does not need to be on the NMC register, nor your line manager, and is verifying that they have seen evidence of your learning. You do not have to have worked with them. You can seek confirmation from another healthcare professional who is regulated in the UK – see: https://www.nmc.org.uk/revalidation/requirements/confirmation/.

Your reflective discussion partner must be on the same part of NMC register as you. However, you can choose who this person is and it is not necessary to have worked with them. The reflective discussion can be virtual or in person.

Supporting Healthcare Heroes UK recommends choosing your confirmer and the person to do the reflective discussion with early on, ideally right at the start of the three year revalidation period. We recommend drawing up and signing a contract.

We have created a template contract that can be found by clicking here.

SHH-UK information about Continuing professional development hours can be accessed by clicking here.