NMC reflective discussion: what happens, and what goes on the form

Who it must be with, what goes on the form, how it fits with confirmation, and how to prepare.

What the reflective discussion is

Revalidation asks for five written reflective accounts, and for a discussion about them with another registrant. The discussion is about those five accounts: what you reflected on, what you learnt, and how it links to the Code.

The NMC says you should hold your discussion with another registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate, that the discussion should take place face to face, and that you must use the reflective discussion form to record it.

How it fits with confirmation

If your confirmer is a nurse, midwife or nursing associate, your reflective discussion can form part of the confirmation discussion, so it can be one meeting rather than two.

If your confirmer is not registered with the NMC, you must have your reflective discussion before your confirmation discussion takes place. So if your confirmer is not an NMC registrant, book the reflective discussion first.

What goes on the form

The person you have the discussion with signs the form and records:

Their name.
Their NMC Pin.
Their email address.
Their professional address and postcode.
The date you had the discussion.

You are not required to submit this form to the NMC at any point, but you should keep it safe as part of your records. It holds personal data about your discussion partner, so store it as carefully as any other record.

Keep other people out of it

The NMC says you should be careful not to discuss other individuals in a way that can identify them. That applies to the conversation as much as to the paperwork.

How to prepare in twenty minutes

Re-read your five accounts and write one sentence for each: what it was about, and which part of the Code it touches.
Pick the one you found hardest. That is usually where the real discussion is.
Note one thing you actually changed in practice. Discussions run dry when everything stays at the level of intention.
Send your partner the five accounts beforehand if you can, so the time is spent talking rather than reading.
Have the form ready and fill in the date at the meeting, not afterwards.

What it sounds like in practice

It is a professional conversation, not an examination. A typical one runs: what did you pick and why, what surprised you, what did you do differently afterwards, where does the Code come into it, and is there anything you are still unsure about.

Expect to be asked for an example. If an account says your communication improved, the discussion is where you say what you actually said the next time.

Write the five accounts by speaking them

ReflectReady has the NMC reflective account template. You talk through what happened and it sorts your own sentences under the form’s headings, including how it relates to the Code, ready to read, edit and keep. It never writes the reflection for you. Free to try.

Sources: NMC: reflective discussion, NMC: written reflective accounts.