Supporting children’s nurses through Nursing and Midwifery Council revalidation

Abstract

In April 2016 the Nursing and Midwifery Council introduced revalidation for all nurses and midwives. It was designed to demonstrate a registrant's ability to practise safely and effectively throughout their career and thereby improve patient and public protection. Children's nurses should be aware of their renewal (revalidation) date to prepare their portfolio in good time. The portfolio must include evidence of 450 hours of practice, 35 hours of continuing professional development, five examples of feedback on practice and five written reflective accounts. Revalidation was tested in 19 pilot sites across the UK including Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) - the overall experience of the children's nurses from ABUHB who participated in the pilot was positive. Children's nurses have been supported in revalidation through learning from shared examples of portfolio entries. Advice from ABUHB pilot participants to children's nurses includes getting organised, recording information regularly in their portfolio and the reassurance that revalidation is not difficult.