The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) launched the first phase of its two-part consultation on revalidation on 6 January.
The consultation aims to address the revision of the Code and the implementation of a new revalidation system.
Part one, which will run until the 31 March, will focus on how the proposed model of revalidation can be applied in practice and how to ensure it will work for all those on the register.
Part two will commence in the spring and will run until July 2014.
The consultation will seek views on the ways in which nurses and midwives can obtain confirmation of their continuing fitness to practice by someone well placed to comment, how practice related feedback can be used to improve standards of care, how revalidation can meet the needs of an individual's scope of practice or setting and what the revised Code should include.
The NMC wants to hear from nurses and midwives operating at any level, scope of practice and work setting, as well as from student nurses, the general public, trade unions, education institutions, employers and charities.
Dr Katerina Kolyva, director of continued practice at the NMC, said: 'Revalidation is a robust way to ensure that nurses and midwives keep their knowledge and skills up to date throughout their career.
'The public has an important role to play in shaping revalidation for the nurses and midwives who care for them and their families.
'We hope that revalidation will help the public feel confident that the people who care for them have demonstrated that their practice meets the professional standards we set on a continuous basis.'
Nurses and midwives will be revalidated every three years at their point of renewal. They will have to confirm to the NMC every three years that they remain fit to practice. If they do not, they will lapse from the register. The proposed model suggests nurses will be required to gain feedback from a third party, such as peers or patients, and reflect on this in order to improve their practice. The consultation is seeking views on how this feedback could be incorporated in the process of revalidation.
Information about the consultation and a link to the submission form can be found here: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Get-involved