An independent report into the revalidation process for nurses has concluded that the perceived benefits of the process ‘outweigh the perceived burden’.
Research organisation Ipsos MORI, who have been tasked by the Nursing and Midwifery Council to evaluate the revalidation process, found a positive perception from nurses that revalidation will have a good impact on their ability to practise safely, with perceived improvements in individual practice noted in those who have already revalidated.
The overall positive attitude from nurses towards the revalidation process ‘may also be leading to behaviour change’, according to the evaluation.
But it added that this was ‘not consistent across all aspects of revalidation’.
The reflective discussion element was found to be one of the most beneficial aspects, but the report added that the quality of reflective accounts was variable.
The evaluation was published alongside the NMC’s own report into the second year of revalidation, which showed that almost 94% of nurses who were due to revalidate were successful. The remaining 6% had their registrations lapse.
Of the 415 who lapsed due to an inability to meet a particular requirement of revalidation, 205 cited the reflective discussion, the most common element of revalidation that was not met.
Of the 212,501 nurses who were revalidated across the UK during the second year of the process, 38,123 of them were community nurses, with another 12,121 coming from general practice or other aspect of primary care.
The NMC’s director of registration and revalidation Emma Broadbent said: ‘Whether in hospitals, care homes or the community, revalidation is helping nurses and midwives to improve the care that they deliver. They’re reflecting more on their practice, analysing what they can improve and using what they learn to develop as professionals.
‘Over 400,000 nurses and midwives have now revalidated but we know that many thousands more will do so in the coming months and we’ll take on board the recommendations of this evaluation as we continue to support all those going through the process.’
