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How to Write NMC Revalidation Reflective Accounts | Probity & Ethics
Nursing Regulation

How to Write Reflective Accounts for NMC Revalidation (With Practical Examples)

A step-by-step guide to writing the five reflective accounts required for NMC revalidation — what to include, how to link to the NMC Code, and what good reflection actually looks like

Updated: March 2026|12 min read|Probity & Ethics

Of all the NMC revalidation requirements, the five reflective accounts are the ones most nurses find most challenging to write. The NMC does not assess them against a marking scheme — there is no pass or fail — but a thoughtful, well-structured account that demonstrates genuine professional reflection is far more satisfying to write, more useful in your discussion with your confirmer, and more valuable to your professional development than a formulaic exercise. This guide explains exactly how to approach each account.

What the NMC Requires from Reflective Accounts

The NMC requires five written reflective accounts completed during the three-year revalidation period. Each account must:

  • Be based on a piece of CPD you have undertaken, a piece of practice-related feedback, or an experience or event from your practice
  • Explain what you did, what you learned or concluded, and how it is relevant to the NMC Code
  • Be written — not just a mental note or a verbal account
  • Be shared with your reflective discussion partner and discussed at the reflective discussion

The accounts are not submitted to the NMC directly in normal circumstances. They are reviewed by your confirmer and may be requested if your revalidation submission is selected for audit.

The Four-Part Structure for Each Account

1 What Was the CPD Activity, Feedback, or Experience?

Start by describing specifically what you are reflecting on. Name the course you attended, the feedback you received, or the clinical situation you encountered. Be concrete — "I attended a one-day workshop on safeguarding adults in October 2025" is far more useful than "I did some safeguarding training."

This section should be brief — two or three sentences. You are setting the scene, not writing a comprehensive account of what happened.

2 What Did You Learn or Take From It?

This is the analytical heart of your reflective account. What did the experience teach you, remind you of, or cause you to question? What new knowledge, skill, or perspective did it give you? What confirmed something you already believed about your practice?

Avoid describing what the course covered or what the trainer said. Describe what you took from it — your thinking, your questions, your conclusions.

The Key Question to Ask Yourself

What did this experience change or reinforce in the way I think about my practice? If you cannot answer that question, your reflection is likely to remain descriptive rather than analytical. Push yourself to identify the specific professional insight the experience produced.

3 How Does It Relate to the NMC Code?

Every NMC revalidation reflective account must identify a specific part of the NMC Code that the reflection relates to. The Code has four themes:

  • Prioritise people — treating patients and the public as individuals, with dignity and respect
  • Practise effectively — applying knowledge and skills, working in teams, keeping records
  • Preserve safety — raising concerns, managing risk, working within competence
  • Promote professionalism and trust — honesty, professional boundaries, behaviour outside work

Identify which part of the Code your reflection is most relevant to and state this specifically. For example: "This experience relates to the NMC Code requirement to 'preserve safety' — in particular, the duty to raise concerns when patient safety may be at risk (Code 16)."

4 What Has Changed or What Will You Do Differently?

Close each account by describing the practical outcome of your reflection — what has changed in your practice, what you plan to do differently, or what learning you have embedded. This does not need to be a dramatic change; it might be a reinforcement of good practice, a new habit, or a renewed commitment to a particular standard.

Strong vs Weak: A Practical Comparison

The difference between an effective and an ineffective reflective account becomes clearest through example. Both of the following are based on the same experience — attending a training session on communication with patients who have dementia.

❌ Weak — Avoid This
"I attended a training day about communicating with dementia patients. The trainer covered different types of dementia and communication techniques. I found it very informative and it was a good reminder of the importance of patient-centred care. I will try to use these techniques in my practice. This relates to the NMC Code requirement to prioritise people."
✓ Strong — Aim For This
"Following a training day on communication in dementia care, I reflected on a recent ward interaction where I had spoken over a patient with advanced dementia to address their family instead. The training made me recognise that this approach, while well-intentioned, undermined the patient's dignity and their right to be included in their own care. I have since changed how I conduct bedside conversations on my ward — I now address the patient first, even when a response is unlikely. This directly reflects the NMC Code's principle of 'prioritising people' and treating every person as an individual (Code 1.1 and 1.5)."
The strong example is more persuasive not because it is longer, but because it is specific, honest, and connects the experience to a concrete change in practice. It reads as the account of a professional who is genuinely engaged with their work.

Five Accounts — Five Different Themes

Over the three-year revalidation period, aim to cover a range of experience types and NMC Code themes across your five accounts rather than writing five similar accounts about the same type of experience. A balanced portfolio might include:

  • One account based on a formal CPD course or workshop
  • One account based on patient or carer feedback
  • One account based on a significant clinical event or near-miss
  • One account based on colleague feedback from an appraisal or supervision session
  • One account based on a challenging ethical or professional situation encountered in practice
CPD Accreditation

All Probity & Ethics courses are certified by the CPD Certification Service (CPDUK). Each of our online courses for nurses and midwives is structured around the professional standards and ethical principles most relevant to NMC revalidation reflective accounts — providing both the learning and the material to write a strong, Code-linked reflection.

CPD That Gives You Something Real to Reflect On

Our online courses cover ethics, professional standards, reflective practice, and professional boundaries — all directly linkable to the NMC Code for revalidation reflective accounts.

Browse Courses for Nurses & Midwives
Related Guides How to Write a Reflective Statement for GMC, NMC or GDC→ How to Demonstrate Remediation to a Regulator→ Online Courses for NMC Remediation→

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should each NMC revalidation reflective account be?

The NMC does not specify a word count. Most nurses write between 200 and 500 words per account. What matters is depth and a clear link to the NMC Code, not length.

Does every reflective account need to be based on a CPD activity?

No. Reflective accounts can be based on a piece of CPD, a piece of practice-related feedback, or any experience or event in your practice. All must link to the NMC Code.

Can I write about a negative experience or a mistake?

Yes — and this type of reflection is often the most genuine and valuable. Reflecting on a situation where things went wrong demonstrates professional self-awareness. Your accounts are not submitted to the NMC and are shared only with your discussion partner and confirmer.

Can I use the same CPD activity for both my CPD record and a reflective account?

Yes. The NMC explicitly allows a CPD activity to be used as the basis for a reflective account. Recording the CPD in your CPD log and then writing a separate reflective account about what you learned from it — and linking it to the Code — is the standard approach for most revalidation portfolios.

Important Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only. For specific advice about your NMC revalidation, contact the NMC directly or seek guidance from your professional defence organisation or the Royal College of Nursing.