The requirement

You must demonstrate to an appropriate confirmer

that you have met the relevant requirements of
revalidation.

You do not need to demonstrate that you have met the health and
character or professional indemnity insurance requirements. You make
this declaration as part of your online application to the NMC.
Purpose of this requirement
•Encourages line managers to regularly consider and discuss how their
staff are maintaining and developing their competence and improving their
practice.

•Increases professionalism by making nurses, midwives and nursing

associates more accountable for their practice.

•Provides additional assurance that the registrant has met the revalidation
requirement.

•Encourages a culture of sharing, reflection and improvement.

•Helps to reduce nurses, midwives and nursing associates working in

professional isolation.
Confirmation in practice
• You will need to meet with your confirmer and have a face-to-face
discussion about your revalidation.
• As part of the discussion you will need to demonstrate to the
confirmer that you have met the revalidation requirements.
• This can form part of the annual appraisal process.
• If your line manager is an NMC registered nurse, midwife or nursing
associate, you might want to have your reflective discussion at the
same time as your confirmation discussion, although this is not a
requirement.
The Confirmer’s Role
• The confirmer is being asked to confirm that they have seen evidence that you have
met the requirements of revalidation.

• The confirmer is not required to verify any evidence provided to them. For example,
the confirmer does not need to contact CPD providers to check whether you attended
a course, but they must check that CPD is related to scope of practice.

• The confirmer is not making an assessment of a nurse, midwife or nursing associate’s

fitness to practise. Existing fitness to practise processes already exist at the NMC to
deal with this.

• There is specific information for confirmers to support them through the process.

• Revalidation is not an assessment against the requirements of your current/former

employment.
Practice hours
• The confirmer will need to see written evidence that the nurse, midwife or nursing
associate has practised for the minimum number of hours.

• Evidence may include a contract of employment, timesheets, job spec and role
profiles.

• Only hours relating to nursing and midwifery registration count but this can include
non-clinical roles such as management, education and policy both paid and voluntary

• Only hours undertaken while registered as a nurse, midwife or nursing associate

count.

• If a nurse, midwife or nursing associate has not practised for the required number of
hours, the confirmer must be satisfied that they have successfully taken an NMC
approved return to practice course.
Continuing professional development
(CPD)
• The confirmer will need to see evidence that the nurse, midwife or nursing
associate has undertaken at least 35 hours of CPD, including evidence of 20
hours participatory learning.
• All CPD must be relevant to the nurse, midwife or nursing associate’s scope of
practice.
• A confirmer is not being asked to assess the quality of the CPD undertaken.
• A confirmer should see accurate records of:
• The CPD method
• A description of the topic and how it relates to their practice
• Dates of the activity
• Number of hours
• Which part of the Code the CPD relates to.
Practice-related feedback
• The confirmer will need to be satisfied that the nurse, midwife or nursing associate
has obtained five pieces of practice related feedback.

• Feedback can come from a variety of sources including patients, service users,
colleagues, carers and students.

• The NMC recommends that nurses, midwives and nursing associates make a note of
feedback but this isn't compulsory. The nurse, midwife or nursing associate should be
able to provide an account of the feedback where there is no written note.
Written reflective accounts
• The confirmer should see the five written reflective accounts that the nurse, midwife or
nursing associate has prepared on their CPD, practice related feedback or
event/experience in their practice and how this relates to the Code.

• The accounts should include what the nurse, midwife or nursing associate has learnt
and how they changed or improved their work as a result and how it relates to the
Code.

• Nurses, midwives or nursing associates must record their reflective accounts on the
NMC form.
Reflective discussion
• The confirmer will need to see a completed and signed NMC form showing that the
nurse, midwife or nursing associate has discussed their reflective accounts with
another NMC-registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate.

• The confirmer can be the reflective discussion partner as long as they are an NMC
registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate.

• The confirmer isn’t making a judgment as to the quality of the reflective discussion.
They are confirming that they have seen the completed NMC form which
demonstrates that this has taken place.

• This completed form must be signed by both the nurse, midwife or nursing associate
going through revalidation and the reflective discussion partner.
Who can act as your confirmer?
Your line manager is an appropriate confirmer and the NMC strongly recommend
that you use your line manager for confirmation were possible.

The line manager does not have to be a registered nurse, midwife or nursing
associate.

If you do not have a line manager, the NMC recommends that the confirmer,
wherever possible is an NMC-registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate.

If you do not have access to either of the above the NMC recommends you use
another healthcare professional registered in the UK. For example a doctor, dentist
or pharmacist.

It is for you to decide who is the most appropriate confirmer.

The NMC has developed an online tool to help you identify a suitable confirmer.
Visit revalidation.nmc.org.uk/information-for-confirmers/
Joint responsibilities
Both the nurse, midwife or nursing associate and the
confirmer need to:
•Be mindful about any personal or commercial relationship.
•Exercise judgment where there is any conflict of interest or
perception of bias to ensure that the confirmation process
retains credibility and remains objective.
•Consider whether a different person should be used as the
confirmer.
Confirmation and reflective discussion
Remember, if your confirmer is not a registered nurse, midwife
or nursing associate
•Your reflective discussion must be with another registered nurse,
midwife or nursing associate.
•Your reflective discussion partner must have completed and signed
the reflective discussion form.
•This must happen prior to meeting with your confirmer.
•If your confirmer is a registered nurse, midwife and nursing associate
then they can complete both the reflective discussion and confirming
roles.
If a nurse, midwife or nursing associate
doesn’t meet the requirements
• The confirmer will need to explain to the nurse, midwife
or nursing associate why they have not met the
requirements.
• The nurse, midwife or nursing associate can then be
given the opportunity to fully complete the requirements
and go back to the confirmer before their revalidation
application is due.
• The confirmation discussion should take place well in
advance of the revalidation application date to allow
plenty of time for nurses, midwives and nursing
associates to fully comply.