Revalidation evaluated

Revalidation is the process whereby the nurse or nursing associate renews their registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) every 3 years. It involves demonstrating their continued ability to practise safely and effectively. The introduction of revalidation arose from the findings and recommendations of the Francis report (2013) and it replaced the previous requirements for renewal in April 2016.

The requirements for revalidation are prescribed either in the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001, the Education, Registration and Registration Appeals Rules or the standards set by the NMC for revalidation and readmission to the register. The Code (NMC, 2018a) is key to the process of revalidation and is a focus for professional reflection.

Ipsos MORI (2018) has published a second independent evaluation commissioned by the NMC, covering the second year of the new model and looking at interim progress towards outcomes, building on the provisional considerations that were provided to the NMC 12 months previously. The evaluation is generally positive. The NMC's companion data report shows that during 2017-18 there was an average revalidation rate of 94% across the UK, with more than 200 000 nurses and midwives revalidating successfully with little difference in revalidation rates between the professions or between the countries of the UK (NMC, 2018b).