Students and new registrants shaping future Code and revalidation process

The Student and Recently Registered Advisory Group is supporting the NMC’s independent steering group, which is overseeing reviews of these key regulatory tools to help ensure they reflect contemporary practice and are fit for the future.

Made up of a mix of nursing and midwifery students and recently registered professionals from all four countries of the UK, the advisory group will ensure that these voices are central to how the regulator updates the Code and revalidation process.

The group’s early discussions with the NMC have focused on key themes including the use of artificial intelligence and social media, reflective practice, personal and professional behaviours, and professionals’ own wellbeing.

Carissa Tomo co-chairs the group alongside NMC colleagues. Carissa is an internationally educated nurse from the Philippines with more than 11 years of experience in various sectors and health systems outside the UK. She joined the NMC Register in 2022, initially working in England, and is now a Practice Education Facilitator in Scotland.

Carissa explains what motivated her to be involved in the NMC’s reviews:

“I am keen to be involved because I see how these frameworks directly shape the confidence, professionalism, and decision-making of students and newly registered professionals.

“In my role, I want to ensure that early-career perspectives and lived experiences meaningfully inform regulatory development. This includes contributing insight into the realities of modern practice, education, and the increasing complexity of professional environments.

“My involvement in the review is driven by a strong commitment to ensuring that the voices and lived experiences of students and newly registered professionals are meaningfully represented. I want to support a review process that strengthens public trust, upholds professional standards, and enables the next generation of nurses, midwives and nursing associates to practise with confidence, integrity, and a clear understanding of their professional responsibilities."

The NMC has also set up a Breadth of Practice Group and Public Advisory Group, designed to help get the right professional and public input into the reviews.

The regulator will use the three groups’ insight to help inform its proposed changes to the Code and revalidation process, before it launches a public consultation in September 2026.

Donna O’Boyle, Acting Executive Director of Professional Practice, said:

“We’re grateful for the insight from our Student and Recently Registered Group, as we progress our reviews of the Code and revalidation process.

“Hearing from students and those new to the Register is vital. Only by listening to the voices of those at the start of their journeys can we ensure that the Code and revalidation process reflect the realities they will meet throughout their careers.

“At a time when the health and social care landscape is rapidly evolving, we must ensure that our key regulatory tools keep pace so we can support nursing and midwifery professionals to deliver the best possible care long into the future.”

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