Start preparing now for revalidation Nurses should already be taking steps to improve their practice and record their development milestones, says Alistair Kleebauer registration on or after December 31 2015 – but the Nursing and Midwifery Council is encouraging nurses and midwives to start preparing now. A spokesperson for the regulator says staff should get into the habit of reflecting on feedback, a key component of revalidation. GETTY
According to Unite’s professional officer for regulation Jane Beach, most nurses are working so hard they have not yet considered the impact that the new system of revalidation will have on them. It may seem a long way off – the new model will apply to registrants renewing their
SUMMARY
Registrants are advised to get into the habit of reflecting on and recording aspects of their practice
To re-register, nurses will have to meet the regulator’s standards for hours of practice (450 hours over the previous three years) and continuing professional development (40 hours in three years); have reflected on their practice based on the requirements of the NMC’s revised code of conduct (using feedback from patients, colleagues and others); and have received confirmation they remain fit to practise from a third party (usually a line manager). The NMC says registrants will have a clearer idea of what they need to do at the point of renewal once the revalidation model and revised code are finalised and agreed by the NMC’s council in December this year. RCN head of policy Howard Catton suggests a number of steps nurses can take to help them prepare (see box), including identifying any gaps in learning and development. Under the current post-registration education and practice (PREP) system, at the point of re-registration, nurses and midwives self-declare that they are fit to practise and are then told by
Our series concludes by considering the final stage of revalidation – the point at which nurses and midwives re-register or renew their registration – and asks what nurses and midwives should be doing to prepare for the new system before it begins at the end of December 2015.
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letter or an email if they have been successful. They can then be selected for an audit and would have to provide evidence they have completed their hours of practice and CPD, although one of the main criticisms of PREP has been the lack of audit. The NMC has not yet said how registrants will be informed if they have been successful under revalidation, or what the audit processes will be, although they are expected to be more rigorous than PREP’s. Registrants will also be expected to have ready any evidence that demonstrates their fitness to practise. As with PREP, there will be an appeals process, but no further details have yet been announced. Nursing organisations, including Unite and the RCN, have considered
Revalidation timeline December 2014 The regulatory council considers the final drafts of the revised code of conduct and its revalidation guidance. Once approved, the final versions will be published. April to June 2015 Early implementers test the model and guidance in UK-wide pilots and the NMC evaluates the model. November 2015 The NMC’s council decides if the revalidation model should go ahead. December 31 2015 Revalidation begins. The revalidation process will be completed online and registrants may be asked for evidence of their CPD, reflective accounts and hours of practice. Debra Moore, director of nursing at care provider the Danshell Group, says it already collects information and monitors CPD hours
‘IDENTIFY GAPS AND SPACES IN DEVELOPMENT, ASPECTS THAT CAN BE IMPROVED ON AND SPEAK TO LINE MANAGERS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT ISSUES’ how they can help registrants through revalidation. Ms Beach says Unite is running revalidation roadshows to prepare its members and ‘putting as much information out there as possible’. Mr Catton says the RCN will help members who have any issues with the new model. He adds: ‘We will be able to support people in terms of the evidence they might collect as part of revalidation.
College back-up
‘We would support them through the provision of learning opportunities, whether through online or published materials or the courses we provide.’ Royal College of Midwives’ (RCM) head of education and learning Carmel Lloyd says it will help registrants struggling to meet the revalidation requirements through its local networks. She adds: ‘The most likely way the midwife will address any problems is with their supervisor. If their supervisor is not helpful enough, then they could turn to the RCM for support.’
undertaken by its nursing staff. But she adds: ‘In future, we will take a closer look at how much is participatory to ensure there are good opportunities for nurses to hit, and hopefully exceed, the target required for revalidation.’ A NMC spokesperson says it is not interested in how nurses and midwives gather their feedback, but it will be setting out in detail what it expects from these reflective accounts. Nor will the regulator be recommending what system registrants use to store their evidence, although one solution would be to create an ePortfolio to keep everything in one place. Subscribers to Nursing Standard and RCN Publishing’s other journals will have access to a simple ePortfolio system. Ms Moore says Danshell will expect nurses to take responsibility for their professional portfolio development, but will provide support through refresher workshops on portfolio development and reflective
practice. It will also hold events with staff to discuss the new code of conduct once it is finalised. From April next year, the new system of revalidation will be tested at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Mersey Care NHS Trust, NHS Tayside, Public Health England and Western Health and Social Care Trust. Nurses and midwives from these organisations are being sought to help with the pilots. According to Ms Lloyd, the pilots will be an opportunity to work out how supervision of midwives fits with revalidation. However, she asks: ‘Will it become too burdensome for midwives?’ Mr Catton hopes the pilots will give an early indication of whether revalidation will work across a range of different healthcare settings. ‘But the big question will be, “Is revalidation improving patient safety and public protection, and resulting in nurses improving and developing their practice?”’ He says the answer to that question will only emerge in time NS This is the final article in our series on revalidation. For all our resources on revalidation and the revised code of conduct, go to www.revalidation.zone
What you can do now to prepare RCN head of policy Howard Catton’s advice for registrants: Start thinking about revalidation now – ‘I think registrants should be thinking about their own development, how do they stay up to date? What are they reading? Are they doing things online? Are they meeting regularly with colleagues to talk about practise and development? People will probably find there is a lot they are doing.’ Speak to colleagues – ‘Identify gaps and spaces in development, aspects that can be improved on and speak to line managers about development issues.’ Stay organised – ‘Make sure you have a clear record of courses and learning.’ Be proactive – ‘There is a lot individuals can do on their own and with colleagues and line managers to get ready.’
NURSING october 29other :: voluses 29without no 9 :: permission. 2014 25 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 09, 2015. For personal use only. No Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
According to Unite’s professional officer for regulation Jane Beach, most nurses are working so hard they have not yet considered the impact that the new system of revalidation will have on them. It may seem a long way off – the new model will apply to registrants renewing their
SUMMARY
Registrants are advised to get into the habit of reflecting on and recording aspects of their practice
To re-register, nurses will have to meet the regulator’s standards for hours of practice (450 hours over the previous three years) and continuing professional development (40 hours in three years); have reflected on their practice based on the requirements of the NMC’s revised code of conduct (using feedback from patients, colleagues and others); and have received confirmation they remain fit to practise from a third party (usually a line manager). The NMC says registrants will have a clearer idea of what they need to do at the point of renewal once the revalidation model and revised code are finalised and agreed by the NMC’s council in December this year. RCN head of policy Howard Catton suggests a number of steps nurses can take to help them prepare (see box), including identifying any gaps in learning and development. Under the current post-registration education and practice (PREP) system, at the point of re-registration, nurses and midwives self-declare that they are fit to practise and are then told by
Our series concludes by considering the final stage of revalidation – the point at which nurses and midwives re-register or renew their registration – and asks what nurses and midwives should be doing to prepare for the new system before it begins at the end of December 2015.
24 october 29 ::from vol 29 no 9 :: by 2014 STANDARD Downloaded RCNi.com ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 09, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
letter or an email if they have been successful. They can then be selected for an audit and would have to provide evidence they have completed their hours of practice and CPD, although one of the main criticisms of PREP has been the lack of audit. The NMC has not yet said how registrants will be informed if they have been successful under revalidation, or what the audit processes will be, although they are expected to be more rigorous than PREP’s. Registrants will also be expected to have ready any evidence that demonstrates their fitness to practise. As with PREP, there will be an appeals process, but no further details have yet been announced. Nursing organisations, including Unite and the RCN, have considered
Revalidation timeline December 2014 The regulatory council considers the final drafts of the revised code of conduct and its revalidation guidance. Once approved, the final versions will be published. April to June 2015 Early implementers test the model and guidance in UK-wide pilots and the NMC evaluates the model. November 2015 The NMC’s council decides if the revalidation model should go ahead. December 31 2015 Revalidation begins. The revalidation process will be completed online and registrants may be asked for evidence of their CPD, reflective accounts and hours of practice. Debra Moore, director of nursing at care provider the Danshell Group, says it already collects information and monitors CPD hours
‘IDENTIFY GAPS AND SPACES IN DEVELOPMENT, ASPECTS THAT CAN BE IMPROVED ON AND SPEAK TO LINE MANAGERS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT ISSUES’ how they can help registrants through revalidation. Ms Beach says Unite is running revalidation roadshows to prepare its members and ‘putting as much information out there as possible’. Mr Catton says the RCN will help members who have any issues with the new model. He adds: ‘We will be able to support people in terms of the evidence they might collect as part of revalidation.
College back-up
‘We would support them through the provision of learning opportunities, whether through online or published materials or the courses we provide.’ Royal College of Midwives’ (RCM) head of education and learning Carmel Lloyd says it will help registrants struggling to meet the revalidation requirements through its local networks. She adds: ‘The most likely way the midwife will address any problems is with their supervisor. If their supervisor is not helpful enough, then they could turn to the RCM for support.’
undertaken by its nursing staff. But she adds: ‘In future, we will take a closer look at how much is participatory to ensure there are good opportunities for nurses to hit, and hopefully exceed, the target required for revalidation.’ A NMC spokesperson says it is not interested in how nurses and midwives gather their feedback, but it will be setting out in detail what it expects from these reflective accounts. Nor will the regulator be recommending what system registrants use to store their evidence, although one solution would be to create an ePortfolio to keep everything in one place. Subscribers to Nursing Standard and RCN Publishing’s other journals will have access to a simple ePortfolio system. Ms Moore says Danshell will expect nurses to take responsibility for their professional portfolio development, but will provide support through refresher workshops on portfolio development and reflective
practice. It will also hold events with staff to discuss the new code of conduct once it is finalised. From April next year, the new system of revalidation will be tested at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Mersey Care NHS Trust, NHS Tayside, Public Health England and Western Health and Social Care Trust. Nurses and midwives from these organisations are being sought to help with the pilots. According to Ms Lloyd, the pilots will be an opportunity to work out how supervision of midwives fits with revalidation. However, she asks: ‘Will it become too burdensome for midwives?’ Mr Catton hopes the pilots will give an early indication of whether revalidation will work across a range of different healthcare settings. ‘But the big question will be, “Is revalidation improving patient safety and public protection, and resulting in nurses improving and developing their practice?”’ He says the answer to that question will only emerge in time NS This is the final article in our series on revalidation. For all our resources on revalidation and the revised code of conduct, go to www.revalidation.zone
What you can do now to prepare RCN head of policy Howard Catton’s advice for registrants: Start thinking about revalidation now – ‘I think registrants should be thinking about their own development, how do they stay up to date? What are they reading? Are they doing things online? Are they meeting regularly with colleagues to talk about practise and development? People will probably find there is a lot they are doing.’ Speak to colleagues – ‘Identify gaps and spaces in development, aspects that can be improved on and speak to line managers about development issues.’ Stay organised – ‘Make sure you have a clear record of courses and learning.’ Be proactive – ‘There is a lot individuals can do on their own and with colleagues and line managers to get ready.’
NURSING october 29other :: voluses 29without no 9 :: permission. 2014 25 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 09, 2015. For personal use only. No Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
