Revalidation in a nutshell

Over the next few years the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) will be deciding how each of us proves ourselves to be fit to re-register.

What's the background?

The current system for revalidation by the NMC was heavily criticised by the Health Select Committee in their report of their annual accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in 2011,¹ and this has provided a major catalyst for change.

How does the current system work?

Nurses and midwives pay their retention fee annually, and once every three years they are required to re-register with the NMC, called a 'periodic renewal'. This requires that a registrant state on a Notification of Practice form that they have undertaken 450 hours or more of practice in the last three years, and that they have undertaken 35 hours of continuous professional development (CPD) activity over the same period. Collectively, these are known as the Post-registration Education and Practice (PREP) standards.