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ou will have just read Ian Peate’s comprehensive editorial on the revalidation of nurses and midwives to be undertaken by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). This comment adds to that information for nurses and, ultimately, exists to protect the public. Everything we do, including revalidation, must contribute to that purpose.We have committed to deliver a proportionate, risk-based and affordable system of revalidation by the end of 2015 that will increase the public’s confidence in nurses’ and midwives’ fitness to remain on the NMC register. Revalidation will enable each of the 670 000 nurses and midwives we regulate to demonstrate their professional commitment to keep their skills and knowledge up to date and provide a means of checking that they continue to meet our standards in terms of both conduct and competence. It aims to improve the quality of care delivered by nurses and midwives and to encourage the development of a culture of professional improvement through reflection on learning and development.

What will revalidation require? Last month, the Council agreed a model for revalidation, which will require nurses and midwives to confirm they remain fit to practise. They will also confirm that a third party (such as an employer or supervisor) has declared that they are complying with the Code in their practice. The nurse or midwife revalidating will also have to confirm that they have collected and reflected on feedback from third parties who may be patients, students, carers, colleagues or service users. The form that third party confirmation and feedback will take is being developed through ongoing engagement and consultations with a range of people including the UK chief nursing officers and Departments of Health. Other criteria for revalidation will remain the same as they are currently. Nurses and midwives will continue to confirm that they have practised for 450 hours over the last 3 years, they have undertaken the required continual professional development (CPD) that is relevant to their scope of practice, and that they are of ‘good health and good character’. They will also continue to declare any police charges, cautions or convictions. From 2014, all nurses and midwives will also confirm they hold an appropriate level of professional indemnity insurance. Revalidation will take place every 3  years at each nurse and midwife’s usual point of renewal following the introduction of revalidation at the end of 2015. If someone’s revalidation is unsuccessful, their registration will lapse. If serious risks to public protection arising from someone’s practice are raised

through revalidation, the current process of fitness to practise will apply, although we expect this to be rarely necessary. The NMC will regularly monitor revalidation submissions made by nurses and midwives. This monitoring will be random and risk-based and will be informed by other regulators and the NMC’s own fitness-to-practise processes and other intelligence.

Reviewing the Code In tandem with the work we are doing to prepare for the introduction of revalidation, we are also reviewing the Code so it aligns properly and fully to revalidation. The Code is the fundamental standard of good nursing and midwifery practice to which everyone on our register must adhere throughout their careers. The Code will be central to revalidation: revalidation will require nurses and midwives to reflect on how their practice meets the revised Code and the third-party confirmer will declare that the nurse or midwife meets the new Code in their practice. As well as ensuring that the Code fully supports revalidation, the review will also consider the recommendations from recent reports including the Francis Report and Compassion in Practice. Although many of the key duties for nurses and midwives identified in the Francis Report are well articulated within the current Code, we want to explore how the messages can be developed to make the Code as strong as it can be. Accompanying the Code will be guidance on revalidation for nurses and midwives, and information to support the third-party confirmers. We will clarify the terms ‘practice’ and ‘good health and good character’ and will articulate the CPD required. The model of revalidation has been developed with substantial input from a range of stakeholders. After it has been introduced and evaluated, we may ask for changes to our governing legislation if there is strong enough evidence that this would further increase the level of public protection offered by the revalidation of nurses and midwives. A public consultation will take place from January 2014, giving you, the nurses, the opportunity to tell us what you think about the model of revalidation and how it will work in your practice setting. We look forward to hearing from as many people as possible, in order to make revalidation as robust as it can be. It is vital that revalidation results in a genuine improvement to our ability to protect the public. Katerina Kolyva

Director of Continued Practice Nursing and Midwifery Council [email protected]

© 2013 MA Healthcare Ltd

Editorial Board Palo Almond, Academic and Research Consultant, Anglia Ruskin University Irene Anderson, Prinicipal Lecturer and Reader in Learning and Teaching in Healthcare Practice, University of Hertfordshire Russell Ashmore, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, Sheffield Hallam University Steve Ashurst, Critical Care Nurse Lecturer, Maelor Hospital, Wrexham Christopher Barber, Residential Nurse Dimitri Beeckman, Lecturer and Researcher, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery, King’s College London Ruhi Behi, Head of School, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor Dr Lizzy Bernthal, Research Fellow and lead nursing lecturer, Medical Directorate, Birmingham, Honorary Research Fellow University of Southampton. Martyn Bradbury, Clinical Skills Network Lead, University of Plymouth Alison Coull, Lecturer, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Stirling, Scotland Willie Doherty, CNS Continence Care, Park Drive Health Centre, Baldock, Hertfordshire Jane Fox, Independent Consultant, Derbyshire Alan Glasper, Professor of Child Health Nursing, University of Southampton Angela Grainger, Assistant Director of Nursing, King’s College Hospital NHS Trust, London Michelle Grainger, Ward Manager, Moseley Hall Hospital, Birmingham Helen Holder, Senior Lecturer, Nursing Studies, Birmingham City University Mina Karamshi, Specialist Sister in Radiology, Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead Andrew McVicar, Reader, Dept of Mental Health & Learning Disabilities, Anglia Ruskin University Danny Meetoo, Lecturer in Adult Nursing, University of Salford Mervyn Morris, Director, Centre for Mental Health Policy, Birmingham City University Aru Narayanasamy, Associate Professor, University of Nottingham Ann Norman, RCN Criminal Justice Services Nursing Adviser and Learning Disability Nursing Adviser (U.K) Joy Notter, Professor, Birmingham City University, UK & Saxion University of Applied Science, NL Lynn Parker, Independent Educational Adviser, Infection Control, Sheffield Hilary Paniagua, Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Wolverhampton Ian Peate, Head of School, Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare, Thames Valley University Bernadette Porter, Nurse Consultant, Multiple Sclerosis, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, UCLH NHS Trust Jo Sharman, Operational Commissioning Manager, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust John Tingle, HRS Reader in Health Law, Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University Catherine Whitmore, Research Nurse, Diabetes and Endocrinology, University of Liverpool Jo Wilson, Director, Wilson Healthcare Services, Newcastle Cate Wood, Lecturer, Bournemouth University, PhD student at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Sue Woodward, Lecturer, Specialist and Palliative Care, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London

NMC: robust revalidation for public protection

British Journal of Nursing, 2013, Vol 22, No 19 © MA Healthcare Ltd. Downloaded from magonlinelibrary.com by 129.059.095.115 on September 20, 2016. Use for licensed purposes only. No other uses without permission. All rights reserved.

NMC: robust revalidation for public protection.

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