In short
No: on its own, a dishonesty CPD course is not enough to show insight to the NMC, because its decision makers judge the quality of your insight and look for steps that are relevant, measurable and effective, not a certificate alone. Our Probity & Ethics NMC dishonesty course, the CPD course Probity for Healthcare Professionals, is £79 (£50 with Bulk Buy 10) for 2 CPD hours, with a final assessment and a dated certificate. It becomes evidence of insight when it sits beside a written reflection, an honest account and testimonials from people who know the allegations. The same hours count as CPD for revalidation.
Facing an NMC dishonesty allegation?
A record, a declaration, a timesheet or your employment history has been questioned.
Building honesty CPD?
You want CPD on section 20 of the Code, with a certificate, for your revalidation record.
Why a course alone does not show insight
The NMC’s guidance on whether a concern has been addressed (FTP-16b) says a professional who shows insight can “step back from the situation and look at it objectively”, “recognise what went wrong”, accept their role, “appreciate what could and should have been done differently” and understand how to act differently in future. A certificate proves none of those things by itself; your own words do.
The same guidance is direct about courses. Courses with a practical element and a formal assessment carry more weight than online courses without a way to show understanding. A reflection carries more weight when it gives examples of how you applied what you learned. Decision makers also ask whether you accepted the concern when first raised and whether you acknowledge how far you fell short of the Code “without blaming others”.
Why dishonesty is harder to put right
The NMC says it takes dishonesty “very seriously”, that a finding is likely to attract a severe sanction even when it is unconnected to practice, and that “not all dishonesty is equally serious”. Its guidance on serious concerns which are more difficult to put right (FTP-3a) names dishonesty about qualifications or employment history, not telling employers about restrictions, and covering up or falsifying records as a breach of candour.
For these concerns, the NMC says it will be keen to hear from a professional who has “reflected on the concerns and taken opportunities to show insight”. Where a professional does not engage, it will focus on preparing the case for the Fitness to Practise Committee. How the NMC decides whether conduct was dishonest is in our guide to NMC dishonesty concerns.
What the NMC Code says about honesty
Honesty runs through the Code’s fourth theme, Promote professionalism and trust. Section 20.2 asks you to “act with honesty and integrity at all times”; 21.3 asks the same in any financial dealings. Section 10.3 asks for records completed “accurately and without any falsification”, section 14 for openness when something goes wrong, and section 23 asks you to tell the NMC and your employers about a caution or charge, or any discipline by another body. Your reflection should name the section the allegation engages.
Where the course and reflection count in the NMC process
After screening and investigation, case examiners weigh the quality of your reflection, and their guidance (CAS-1) says that where a concern is hard to address, reflection and insight are central; a case can end with no case to answer but a warning, depending on the quality of insight. FTP-16b adds that the stage of proceedings at which a reflective piece was produced is taken into account, and FTP-16c lists engagement with the NMC throughout and an otherwise positive record among the factors that make repetition less likely.
What to put beside the certificate
- a written reflection that answers the five signs of insight, in your own words, with examples of what you now do;
- an honest account of what happened; where you accept it, say so plainly;
- testimonials from managers or supervisors who know the full allegations, signed, dated and on letterhead; the NMC says character references with no informed comment carry little or no weight;
The course itself runs to six sections: what probity is, why it matters, its core aspects, what the regulators expect, insight, reflection and remediation, then a post-course assessment, with a reflective quiz after each of the first five.
When a different course fits better
- not being open after something went wrong: Duty of Candour in Healthcare Practice;
- writing the insight itself: Module on Insight, beside the probity course.
Counting the course as CPD for revalidation
The 2 hours count towards the 35 hours of CPD revalidation asks for in three years. Log section 20 as the part of the Code it relates to and keep the certificate; it can also be the subject of one of your five written reflective accounts.
Please note
This guide is general information, not legal advice. No course decides the outcome of a case. Speak to your defence organisation, indemnity provider or union before you send anything to the NMC.
Our NMC dishonesty course, for a concern and for CPD
For nurses and midwives facing a dishonesty concern
Probity for Healthcare Professionals
Honesty in records, declarations, finances and employment history, what regulators treat as dishonest, and how to show insight and change. Probity & Ethics is CPD certified and accredited by The CPD Certification Service (provider no. 13197).
- £79 (£50 with Bulk Buy 10)
- 2 CPD hours
- Certificate on completion
Courses that sit beside it
Bulk Buy covers the £79 courses: 3 for £200, 5 for £300, 10 for £500. Not sure what to take? Book a free 15-minute call or see which course do I need.
This guide is part of our Professional Misconduct hub, which brings together every Probity & Ethics guide and course on the subject.
The CPD courses linked from this guide, Probity for Healthcare Professionals, Duty of Candour in Healthcare Practice, Module on Insight and Module on Reflection, are by Probity & Ethics, written by Dr Shehzad Iqbal, CPD certified and accredited by The CPD Certification Service (provider no. 13197) and offered since 2020.
Questions and answers
Is a dishonesty course enough to show the NMC insight?
No, not on its own. The NMC judges the quality of insight, and says courses with a practical element and assessment carry more weight than online courses, and reflections more when they show how learning was applied. Send the certificate with a reflection, an honest account and informed testimonials.
Can a nurse keep their registration after a dishonesty finding?
The NMC says a finding of dishonesty is likely to attract a severe sanction, but also that not all dishonesty is equally serious. A single incident the nurse recognised and put right before it affected care is, in its guidance, unlikely to amount to misconduct on its own.
When in the NMC process should I send my reflection?
Early. Case examiners weigh the quality of reflection, and the NMC takes into account the stage at which a reflective piece was produced.
Do character references help with an NMC dishonesty concern?
The NMC gives more weight to testimonials from managers or supervisors who know the full allegations, signed and dated; character references with no informed comment on your practice carry little or no weight.
Does the probity course count as CPD for NMC revalidation?
Yes. The 2 CPD hours count towards the 35 hours of CPD revalidation asks for in three years. Log section 20 of the Code as the relevant part and keep the dated certificate.
Sources
This guide is based on the following NMC pages, read on 5 November 2026.
- NMC: Has the concern been addressed? (FTP-16b)
- NMC: Dishonesty and candour
- NMC: Serious concerns which are more difficult to put right (FTP-3a)
- NMC: The Code, read online
- NMC: An introduction to fitness to practise
- NMC: How case examiners decide there is a case to answer (CAS-1)
- NMC: Is it highly unlikely that the conduct will be repeated? (FTP-16c)
- NMC: Revalidation, continuing professional development
- NMC: Revalidation, written reflective accounts
