Hi all, hope everyone's well.
Winter is on the way and it's easy to see the pressure on general practice is increasing and, of course this has an impact for GPNs. And for some, keeping up with revalidation has slipped! Therefore, I felt compelled to share some stories from GPNs who had lapsed completion of their revalidation.
‘I had asked my colleague to be my confirmer she had the paperwork but due to ill health and heavy workload I missed the date and it took 4 weeks to get back on the register which meant was paid as an HCA for the 4 weeks.’
‘Such a scary time, I felt sick with worry, problem with direct debit and my practice were not supportive.’
‘Will never miss my revalidation date again.’
They are not alone, the NMC revalidation data 1st April 2022 to 31 March 2023, shows 6,729 professionals revalidated after their due date.
As we know revalidation for nurses and midwives in the UK started in 2016, the purpose of revalidation is to improve public protection by making sure that nurses, midwives and nursing associates demonstrate their continued ability to practise safely and effectively throughout their career.
‘Practice Nursing provides nurses working in general practice with the tools to reach their full potential and deliver the best possible care to their patients. Our monthly journal informs and inspires by providing up-to-date, evidence-based clinical articles, highlighting key professional issues and promoting the latest research in general practice.’
Please ensure you set yourself reminders at least one month before due date as the process may take up to six weeks to register. Remember if your registration lapses you are cannot work as a registered nurse until you have registered.
And always ensure you have given your confirmer enough time to complete reflective discussion and documentation
It is fraud and will be raised as an NMC Fitness to Practise matter, if you add a confirmer's name and NMC PIN if they have not agreed and completed confirmation.
Revalidation can feel like another chore in the midst of an already titanic workload. But it can also increase confidence and imbue us with fresh knowledge and skills. And remember that if getting the CPD hours is proving challenging, Practice Nursing can help with our free PCN study days: covering immunisation, diabetes, respiratory medicine, women's health and more. To find out more, and to register free, go to https://www.pcnstudydays.com