Best Practice in Nursing 2015 Post Show Newspaper-Issue 3 Nov 2015 | Page 4

Revalidation offers nurses

‘OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE CONTROL

Thanks to The Nursing
& Midwifery Council
for supporting Best
Practice in Nursing in our
inaugural year.

OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE’
The hottest topic at Best Practice
in Nursing was without doubt the
introduction of revalidation from April
next year, and there was standing room
only to hear Nursing and Midwifery
Council chief executive Jackie Smith
explain to nurses what it will mean to
them.
She said that despite doubts that the system
of self-reported checks on registrants could
be introduced on time, revalidation was ‘for
real’, adding: ‘For those of you who questioned
the NMC’s ability to introduce it, we are
implementing it. It will be live on 1 April. We
will be the first in the world to be able to
demonstrate the ability of our nurses and
midwives to practise safely and effectively.’
‘Nursing and midwifery has had a bad press’ Ms
Smith said ‘but of the 685,000 nurses and midwives
on the NMC register less that one per cent get
a complaint. Nonetheless, the public was often
surprised to learn that nurses and midwives could be
on the register for 20 or 30 years without any checks
that their practice was safe’
Ms Smith continued: ‘Revalidation will show that there
is meaning to being on the register. Revalidation
is a way of adding value, a chance to talk about
our everyday practice in a way that demonstrates
professionalism.’

It has been a challenge to find a size that
fits all but this is about ensuring that you
do have an appraisal, and increasing
confidence in what you do

Ms Smith said: ‘It has been a challenge to find a size
that fits all but this is about ensuring that you do
have an appraisal, and increasing confidence in what
you do.’
The NMC agreed to step back from its initial intention
to require 40 hours’ CPD as a result of feedback
from the pilots. But Ms Smith said revalidation was
not about getting ‘obsessed with numbers – this is a
commitment to quality of practice in the round. ‘

The essential requirements for revalidation – which
will be required when the nurse’s registration is due
for renewal every three years – are:

Her advice to the audience was ‘to download the
[NMC’s] guidance, book an \