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Revalidation may sound daunting, but nurses can take heart that its purpose is to improve patient care and reassure the public, writes Jane Redfern Jones

Revalidation, or reconfirmation that you are fit to practise, will soon be part of your professional life. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is proposing revalidation as an improved way of regulating the nursing profession. The system will: Provide a focus for nurses’ efforts to maintain and improve their practice. Make it easier for employers to support nurses to keep their practice up to date. Encourage patients and public to provide feedback about the nursing care they receive. Nurses and midwives will still be required, in line with current legislation, to renew their registration every three years, declaring that they have practised for 450 hours during those three years. The current requirement for continuing professional development (CPD) will be reviewed and the definition of appropriate CPD will be clarified.

Third party approval

The purpose of revalidation is to assure patients, the public, employers and other healthcare professionals that the skills of registered nurses are up to date and they are practising to the appropriate professional standards. As the body responsible for revalidating nurses, the NMC will require assurance that a nurse is fit to practise and able to cope with work challenges. Unlike the current system of re-registration, the proposed system will require a third party, such as an employer or manager,

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CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

Revalidation  A supportive process to improve nurses’ practice and patient care.  A structured approach to professional development.  Designed to provide assurance about a nurse’s fitness to practise.  Intended to help nurses identify areas for improvement.  Emphasises the importance of appraisal and personal development plans.  Not a pass or fail process. to confirm that the nurse or midwife is complying with the revised Code. The draft Code has been out for consultation (see resources). This confirmation will be based on the outcome of work-based annual appraisals undertaken by managers and their nursing staff. The NMC has committed itself to developing and implementing an effective system of revalidation for nurses and midwives by December 2015. A consultation earlier this year specifically asked for ideas for how to do this – for example,

how nurses without direct patient contact can provide user feedback. The decision to tighten up the system of re-registration was made following a series of well publicised lapses in care that had damaged public confidence and raised concerns about poorly performing nursing staff. The current re-registration process is said to allow too many such nurses to slip through the net. Without performance measures and auditing of the re-registration process, it is easy for unscrupulous nurses to tick the boxes without fulfilling their CPD or practice hours requirements. By introducing revalidation, the NMC is confirming that attaining a degree and entering the nursing register on qualification is not an end point and does not confer the right to work as a nurse for the rest of one’s life. The proposed system of using practice-related feedback to improve the quality of care aims to promote a culture of professionalism and accountability through ongoing reflection on the Code and its standards. Change can often be unnerving, but nurses should remember that revalidation is designed to help them provide ever better care to patients NS Jane Redfern Jones is a nurse and writer RESOURCES NMC revalidation proposals tinyurl.com/RevalNMC RCN Publishing revalidation zone revalidation.zone

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Change for the better.

Revalidation, or reconfirmation that you are fit to practise, will soon be part of your professional life...
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