More than 600,000 nurses and midwives registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) have now been through revalidation at least once since it was first introduced three years ago.
This year’s annual revalidation report shows that between April 2016 and March 2019, 611,462 nursing and midwifery professionals (93% of those who were due to revalidate during this time) successfully demonstrated their continued ability to practise safely and effectively in health and care settings across the UK. In the past year, 204,545 (94%) nurses and midwives have revalidated with the NMC.
‘At the end of our third year of revalidation, it’s a delight to see so many nurses and midwives choosing to revalidate across all four countries of the UK.Furthermore, the evidence showing that revalidation is really helping those on our register to reflect on their practice, as well as enhancing their professional pride and personal development, is great news for people who rely and depend on good quality nursing and midwifery care,’ said Emma Broadbent, Director of Registration and Revalidation at the NMC.
‘As well as successes, the independent evaluation and our latest analysis identifies some interesting insights and welcome challenge. We look forward to using this information as part of our wider organisation strategy development work to ensure we continue to grow revalidation and help support and sustain further improvements now and for the future.’
The report reveals the majority of nurses and midwives revalidating are employed in direct clinical care – mainly in the fields of adult nursing and general care – with 56% of roles in hospital or other secondary care settings and 18% in community care.
The data shows certain work settings rely more heavily on this group than others. In the care home sector, 39% of nurses and midwives were reported as having trained outside of the UK, while in hospitals and other secondary care settings this was 19%.
When analysing differences in ethnicity, the fields of adult and mental health nursing were found to be the most diverse. People employed via an agency were also more ethnically diverse compared to those in direct employment.
‘Having been through the revalidation process myself, I can tell you how valuable a process it is for ensuring your skills and knowledge as a nurse are up-to-date, as well as giving you an opportunity to reflect on your development,’ said Dame Professor Donna Kinnair, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing.
‘It is clearly a necessary process, and whilst we need to have a way of ensuring all our nurses continue to have the necessary skills, it should also be seen as one for learning and development rather than critical examination. With nursing developing all the time, the process is a hugely valuable tool to understand where you can develop and help you to give the best possible care.’