NMC Revalidation Requirements for Nurses
Revalidation brings together your professional practice, continuing professional development, feedback and reflection. This guide explains the main NMC revalidation requirements and helps you understand how the different pieces fit together.
Key requirements to understand
Nurses and midwives revalidate every three years to maintain their registration with the NMC. The requirements cover several different aspects of professional practice and development.
What do you need for NMC revalidation?
Practice hours
You need to demonstrate that you have completed the required number of practice hours during your three-year registration period.
Continuing professional development
You need 35 hours of CPD relevant to your scope of practice. At least 20 of those hours must include participatory learning.
Practice-related feedback
You need five pieces of practice-related feedback. Feedback can help you consider the quality and impact of your professional practice.
Written reflective accounts
You need five written reflective accounts relating to your CPD, practice-related feedback, or an event or experience in your professional practice, and how these relate to the Code.
Reflective discussion
You need to discuss your five written reflective accounts with another NMC-registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate.
Health and character
As part of revalidation you must make the required health and character declaration.
Professional indemnity arrangement
You must declare that you have, or will have when practising, an appropriate professional indemnity arrangement.
Confirmation
You need confirmation that you have demonstrated to an appropriate confirmer that you have met the revalidation requirements.
Practice hours
Practice hours demonstrate that you have maintained sufficient professional practice during the three years since your registration was last renewed or since you joined the register.
450 practice hours
The standard requirement for nurses and midwives is 450 practice hours over the three-year period. Different requirements apply to people practising with dual nurse and midwife registration.
Continuing professional development
CPD should be relevant to your scope of practice and demonstrate your continuing professional learning during the registration period.
35 hours of CPD
You need to complete 35 hours of CPD relevant to your scope of practice during the three-year period.
At least 20 participatory hours
At least 20 of the 35 hours must include participatory learning involving interaction with one or more other professionals.
Explore the NurseNet CPD guides
NurseNet has dedicated guides covering what counts as CPD, participatory learning, CPD recording, examples and reflection.
Visit the CPD & Revalidation Hub →Five pieces of practice-related feedback
Feedback provides an opportunity to consider how your professional practice is experienced and where learning or development may arise.
Feedback can take different forms
Practice-related feedback may come from a range of sources. What matters is that it relates to your professional practice and is recorded appropriately.
Use feedback for development
Consider what the feedback tells you, whether it reinforces effective practice and whether it identifies an opportunity for learning or change.
Reflective accounts and reflective discussion
Reflection is a significant part of revalidation. It connects professional experiences, feedback and learning with the standards within the NMC Code.
Five written reflective accounts
Your five accounts can relate to CPD, practice-related feedback, or an event or experience in your professional practice. They should also consider how the experience relates to the Code.
Reflective discussion
You then discuss your five written reflective accounts with another NMC-registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate as part of the revalidation process.
Reflection support
NurseNet's CPD reflection guide can help you develop the habit of moving from professional learning to reflection and application.
Explore CPD Reflection →Health, character and professional indemnity
Health and character
Revalidation includes a declaration about your health and character. Use the current NMC guidance when completing this part of your application.
Professional indemnity
You must make the required declaration concerning an appropriate professional indemnity arrangement for your practice.
Your confirmer reviews whether you have met the requirements
Confirmation provides an opportunity to demonstrate to an appropriate confirmer that you have met the revalidation requirements.
Do not leave revalidation until the final few weeks
Building your evidence gradually can make revalidation more manageable and make your professional portfolio more useful throughout the three-year period.
Your requirements at a glance
- Required practice hours completed and recorded
- 35 hours of relevant CPD
- At least 20 participatory CPD hours
- Five pieces of practice-related feedback
- Five written reflective accounts
- Reflective discussion completed
- Health and character declaration
- Professional indemnity arrangement declaration
- Confirmation completed with an appropriate confirmer
Free NurseNet revalidation resources
Access NurseNet's templates, CPD guidance, planner, feedback workbook and other resources designed to help you organise your revalidation evidence.
Explore the Free Revalidation Resource Library →NMC revalidation FAQs
How often do nurses revalidate?
Nurses and midwives normally revalidate every three years to renew their registration with the NMC.
How many CPD hours do I need?
You need 35 hours of CPD relevant to your scope of practice, including at least 20 hours of participatory learning.
How many reflective accounts do I need?
The NMC revalidation requirements include five written reflective accounts.
How many pieces of feedback do I need?
You need five pieces of practice-related feedback.
Do I need a reflective discussion?
Yes. You need to discuss your five written reflective accounts with another NMC-registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate.
Build your revalidation evidence as you go
Keep your practice, CPD, feedback and reflection organised throughout your registration period rather than treating revalidation as a last-minute administrative task.
