1. ECCFellows Masterclass 3.03.15 Keeping up with the NMC
Jane Harris, Programme Director, NES Marianne Murdoch, NES Practice Educator, NHS Fife

2. Aims of the session
Discuss current professional regulatory changes and requirements relating to the revised NMC code and revalidation
Explore in depth an aspect of the revised code
Discuss the implications of the revised Code and revalidation from the perspective of the registrant/ECCF

3. The Nursing and Midwifery Council
Regulator for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Exists to protect the health and wellbeing of the public.
Maintains the largest register of healthcare professionals in the world (680K)- ensuring they are properly qualified and competent to work in the UK.

4. Core Function of NMC Integrity of the Register Registration Standards
Education
Fitness to Practise
Revalidation
Standards
Core Function of NMC
Integrity
of the Register

5. The NMC Code…
The 2015 revision reflects changes in healthcare and expectations of society since 2008 and places more specific requirements on registrants.
The Code sets the principles of what the public should expect from nurses and midwives, and defines what it means to be a regulated professional.
The Code was last revised in 2008, as a response to the Francis report.

7. Significant changes in the revised code
Best practice behaviours as well as standards for practise
Fundamentals of care
Responsible use of all forms of communications e.g. social media
Professional duty to take action in an emergency
Duty of Candour
Prescribing and medicines management
Conscientious objection
End of Life Care
Significant changes in the revised code
Greater focus on:
Teamwork
Compassionate care
Co-operation with investigations and reviews.
Standards for record keeping
Raising concerns
Delegation and accountability
A greater focus on:
Compassionate care – kindness, respect and compassion
Teamwork – work co-operatively
Record keeping – six clear standards to support all record keeping
Delegation and accountability – delegate responsibly, be accountable
Raising concerns – this aligns the Code with the re-launched Raising Concerns Guidance published in 2013
Cooperating with investigations and audits – includes those against individuals or organisations and acting as a witness at hearings.
Duty of Candour Every healthcare professional must be open and honest with patients when something goes wrong with their treatment or care which causes, or has the potential to cause harm or distress.
Social media The Code recognises the changing nature of communications and sets standards for acting responsibly including the use of social media.
Fundamentals of care The Code sets standards of fundamental care and provides examples of what this includes
such as nutrition, hydration and environmental cleanliness.
Medicines management and prescribing Standards that clearly set the context for prescribing, supply, dispensing and administering medications.
Conscientious objection Nurses and midwives must act in the best interests of people at all times and can only make conscientious objections to a particular procedure in limited circumstances.
End of life care Specific reference is made to the needs of those in the last days and hours of life.

8. Regulation in action
Educators can use the Code to help students understand what it means to be a registered professional
Employers can use it to support their staff in upholding standards as part of providing quality and safety
Nurses and midwives can use it as a way of reinforcing their professionalism
Patients and service users and those who care for them can use it to provide feedback about they care they receive

9. How can the public and the profession be assured that the registrants are upholding the Code?
Revalidation will be the process by which registered nurses and midwives will demonstrate to the NMC that they continue to remain fit to practise.
Revalidation aims to protect the public, increase public confidence in nurses and midwives and helps those on the NMC’s register to meet the standards required of them

10. Maintain a professional profile
Post Registration Education and Practice (PREP)
Current arrangements for 3 yearly renewal of registration
450 hours practice
35 hours learning
Maintain a professional profile
Submit Notification of Practice form
Revalidation from January 2016
NMC proposals for revalidation at point of renewal every 3 years
450 hours related to your scope of practice
40 hours CPD – at least 20 hours in participatory learning
Maintain a professional profile
Confirmation via third party (MUST be a NMC registrant)
Minimum of five reflective accounts based on feedback
All nurses and midwives on our register will be revalidated every three years at the point of their renewal. Each nurse and midwife will take ownership of their revalidation. Those who do not revalidate will lapse from the register. Those who wish to revalidate will be required to continually gather evidence for their revalidation based on criteria in the revised Code, standards and guidance, which are due to be published in December 2014.
Every nurse and midwife will be required to confirm that they:
• Continue to remain fit to practise.
• Have met the requirements for practice and continuing professional development.
• Have sought and received third party feedback which has informed their reflection on their practice. This feedback could be from patients, carers, students (for educators) or peers.
• Have sought and received third party confirmation that they are fit to practise. A third party (likely to be a manager, another registrant or a supervisor) will need to confirm that the nurse or midwife is adhering to the Code and standards, and is fit to practise.

11. Revalidation Pilots –NHS Tayside/Islands
A copy of the revised Code – ‘one off’ will be sent to all registrants before 31.03
Leaflet on Code for patients/public 31.03
Guidance on revalidation for N&Ms, confirmers and information for patients and the public.

12. Changes to guidance under the Code
New guidance due:
Social networking
Duty of candour
Revalidation
Raising Concerns guidance (2013) will remain
Guidance that will be withdrawn:
Record keeping
Care of older people
Professional conduct for nursing and midwifery students
There will be no immediate changes to the standards which sit under the Code.

13. Raising concerns about care
Activity 1: Watch the Short video NMC Safeguarding adults 1: An Introduction Pick one of the 3 scenarios. What would you do? Activity 2: Listen to Helene Donnelly, ambassador for cultural change at Staffordshire and Stoke-On-Trent Partnership NHS talking about her experiences of raising concerns about care at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Also at Activity 3: Read and familiarise yourself with Raising Concerns Guidance NMC (2013) and reflect on your responses in Activity one and Helene Donnelly’s experience.

14. Revalidation A positive opportunity for CPD?
A one off event every three years?
Where does the responsibility for revalidation lie?

15. The benefits of revalidation
To patients and the public?
To nurses and midwives?
To employers?
Others?

16. Revalidation
Effective Practitioner
The Knowledge Network
ePortfolio

17. Revalidation
Learning Activities
Reflective Templates
Revalidation

18. What do nurses and midwives need to do next?
Familiarise yourself with the Code for practice now and in preparation for revalidation
Discuss the Code with peers, managers and students
Learn more from the NMC website, Royal Colleges, representative organisations and professional journals
Register with the NMC online