Readmission, Renewal and Revalidation
If you have been out of practice as a nurse or midwife and wish to return to the register, then you must comply with the Nursing and Midwifery Council requirements for readmission. For those who wish to be restored following strike off, see our separate article: How to Return to Registered Practice Following Strike Off from NMC Register
Return to Practice following a Break
The Return to Practice Standards published by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in May 2019 set out what is required.
Under Article 19(3) of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 and Rule 3(4) of the Education and Registration Appeals Rules 2004 you will be required to have undertaken:
(a) 450 hours practice hours within the last 3 years or 750 hours within the last 5 years as a registered practitioner.
These requirements can have been undertaken if you have been registered with an overseas regulator.
If you have not been able to complete these requirements as you have been out of practice for more than 5 years, then you will be required to undertake a;
- (i) return to practice (RtP) course or
- (ii) as of 28th January 2020, a test of competence.
(b) 35 hours of continuing professional development, 20 must be participatory.
These do not need to be from when you were registered.
(c) Have professional indemnity cover arranged for when you are in practice.
(d) Meet the English language standards required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
(e) Declaration that you are of good health.
This means you must declare a condition or disability which impairs your ability to practise safely and effectively and may put the public at risk.
(f) Declaration that you are of good character. This means whether:
- you have ever received a caution, conviction or conditional discharge;
- received a finding of impairment from another regulating body;
- not worked as a registered nurse or midwife when not on the
register (this is a criminal offence).
If you are a student applying for registration following completion of the course and have a caution, criminal conviction or conditional discharge you MUST have declared
it to the course provider whilst on the course. If not, this may result in a fitness to practise hearing by the institution and result in removal from the course and/or a finding that you will not receive a declaration from the university that you are of good character.
If you declare a caution, criminal conviction or conditional discharge when applying for registration and you have not informed your university then the registrar will consider whether you are capable of safe and effective practice.
If you remain on the course, you must tell The Nursing and Midwifery Council about the caution, criminal conviction. The Nursing and Midwifery Council may take a different view to the university as to whether you are capable of safe and effective practice.
If you have been through a fitness to practise hearing at your institution and there is a finding that you are not impaired, then there will be no need to declare this as the university will still recommend that you are a fit and proper person to be registered.
(g) References from 3 different people. Renewal
If you applying for renewal of your registration but not undertaken the required number of hours practice in the 3 year period (450 hours in 3 years, 750 in 5 years) then you will also be required to undertake the Return to Practice programme or pass the NMC’s competency test.
Revalidation
The Nursing and Midwifery Council will email you 60 days before your fee expiry date or revalidation date is due.
The fee expiry date is the deadline for paying your annual retention fee. Your revalidation date is the first day of the month in which your registration is due to expire. For example, if your registration is due to expire on 20th November your revalidation date will be 1st November.
If you fail to pay your fee or fail to revalidate by the due date your registration will automatically lapse. You will have to apply for readmission which can take up to 6 weeks to process.
In the 12 months before your revalidation is due you need to start preparing. You will need to meet the requirements of revalidation:
(a) Undertake 450 practice hours
(b) 35 hours of continuing professional development (20 hours participatory) (c) 5 pieces of practice related feedback
(d) 5 reflective accounts
(e) Reflective feedback with another nurse, midwife or nursing associate
(f) Declaration of health and character
(g) Declaration of professional indemnity
Once this has all been prepared you must have it signed by a confirmer using the proscribed form.
A confirmer should be your line manager who does not have to be a registered nurse. If like some nurses, there is no line manager then you can ask another registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate. Failing that you can ask another healthcare professional such as a doctor, dentist or pharmacist. If none of these are available, you can ask another professional, but you are encouraged to use one of the recognised confirmers. It is only in exceptional circumstances that a non healthcare professional is used as a confirmer.
You must meet with your confirmer after you have completed the above, not before. This should be either face to face or by video conference. The confirmer must sign the declaration after seeing all the requirements are completed. If not, you could be viewed as dishonest and risk being referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council for fraudulent or incorrect entry to the register.
Once all is complete and the fee is paid, the revalidation process is complete.
If you are applying for readmission to the register within 6 months of your revalidation date, then you will need to complete some of the revalidation process.
You will need to:
(a) Provide the name and PIN of the person providing a declaration of good health and character. This person must have known you for 12 months and have been in contact with you for the previous 6 months.
- (b) Provide the name and email address of your employer
- (c) Provide the name of an NMC approved signatory, somebody who has
known you for 12 months. - (d) Declare you have completed 20 hours of your 35 hours of Continuing Professional Development are participatory practice.
- (e) Declare you have obtained 5 pieces of practice related feedback.
- (f) Declared you have undertaken 5 reflective accounts.
- (g) Confirm you have had a reflective discussion with a registered practitioner,
providing their name and PIN - (h) Provide 3 references from different people.
The processes may seem onerous but the purpose is to provide ‘good practice across the whole population of nurses, midwives and nursing associates as well as strengthening public confidence in the nursing and midwifery professions.’
For advice and guidance on returning to nursing practice, contact Nurses Defence Service on: 0800 0122 506
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