The CPD challenge

By the time this issue of Nursing Children and Young People is published, the first nurses to go through revalidation will have submitted their applications to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The pros and cons of the new system have been widely discussed but those who went through the pilot programme found it, for the most part, to be straightforward and positive. Sian Thomas and Carolyn Middleton describe the experiences of three children’s nurses at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in South Wales, which was one of the NMC’s 19 pilot sites. The nurses reported that the process made them think more about recording the evidence that supports their practice and felt it would help them to demonstrate their professionalism to the public.

However, in this issue we also report concerns expressed by some nurses over whether they will receive enough support from their employer in meeting revalidation requirements, particularly the need to complete 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) in the three years leading up to revalidation.

Two thirds of respondents to an exclusive RCNi survey were worried they will not be able to meet the target. Children’s nurses who responded cited reasons such as lack of time and lack of access to computers as barriers to learning. The NMC and NHS Employers have made it clear they expect nurses to be supported to complete CPD, but with many employers facing intense financial pressures, how strong a response can staff expect?

Nursing Children and Young People, along with its sister publications at RCNi, is launching a campaign to urge employers to give nurses protected time for CPD. Follow our #1hour2empower campaign on twitter and look out for more stories on this subject on our website.

And if you have already completed your revalidation application, please let us know about your experience. Email christine.walker@rcni.com