NMC Confirmer and Reflective Discussion: Who Can Sign You Off?

Your NMC confirmer is, where possible, your line manager, and they do not have to be a nurse or midwife. Your reflective discussion partner is different: they must be another NMC registrant (a registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate). The two can be the same person, but only if that person is on the NMC register. This guide explains who can sign you off, who cannot, and how to avoid the mistakes that hold up a revalidation application.

It covers the NMC's rules as published on its website in October 2026. Most of the relevant NMC pages carry a "last updated" date of 26 May 2021, and the main How to revalidate booklet is the May 2019 edition. The NMC announced in July 2026 that it will consult on changes to revalidation, including a bigger role for confirmers and reflective discussion partners. Those are proposals only, so the current rules below still apply.

Confirmer versus reflective discussion partner

People often mix these two roles up. Revalidation asks you to do both, and they have different jobs.

For the detail of what to write in the accounts themselves, see our guide to NMC reflective accounts with examples and a template.

Who can be your reflective discussion partner

According to the NMC, you should hold the discussion with another registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate. It can be someone you work with regularly, and you decide who. They do not need to be on the same part of the register as you or do the same job, according to the NMC booklet. They do need effective registration, so not someone who has been suspended, removed or struck off.

The NMC says the discussion should take place face to face. The booklet says a video conference is acceptable if meeting in person is not possible. You discuss your five reflective accounts and how they relate to the Code, and you should be careful not to discuss other people in a way that could identify them.

Your partner signs the NMC reflective discussion form, giving their name, NMC PIN, email, professional address and postcode, and the date of the discussion.

Who can be your confirmer

The NMC says it is for you to decide who your confirmer is, and it sets out an order of preference. The NMC's list of appropriate confirmers works like this.

• Your line manager, wherever possible. The NMC "strongly recommends" this. Your line manager does not need to be an NMC-registered nurse or midwife.
• An NMC-registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate, if you have no line manager. The booklet suggests someone who has worked with you or has a similar scope of practice.
• Another UK-regulated healthcare professional, if you have no line manager and no access to someone on the NMC register. The NMC's list includes, for example, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists and social workers.
• Other professionals (the list includes accountants, lawyers, police officers and teachers, among others), only in exceptional circumstances when none of the above is available. The NMC warns that using someone from this list makes it more likely you will be asked for further information if your application is selected for verification.

If you work for more than one employer, you need only one confirmation. The booklet advises choosing the line manager where you do most of your work.

Who cannot sign you off

The NMC is clear that family members and close friends cannot act as your confirmer, because this would be a conflict of interest. The booklet applies the same rule to your reflective discussion partner: you cannot choose a family member or someone you have a close personal relationship with. It also says you, your confirmer and your partner should each check for any conflict of interest or perceived bias, including close commercial relationships.

A confirmer who is on the register must also have effective registration. Someone who is retired and no longer registered cannot act as an NMC-registrant confirmer, according to the NMC's guidance for confirmers.

The order of events if your confirmer is not an NMC registrant

This is the point that catches people out. If your confirmer is a nurse, midwife or nursing associate, the NMC says your reflective discussion can form part of the confirmation discussion, so one meeting can do both jobs. If your confirmer is not NMC-registered, you must have your reflective discussion with an NMC registrant first, before the confirmation discussion takes place.

So if your line manager is not registered, book the reflective discussion with a registered colleague early, then take the signed form and your other evidence to your manager.

What your confirmer checks, and what they do not

According to the NMC's information for confirmers, your confirmer looks at written evidence against each requirement and holds a discussion with you, face to face or by video as a minimum. They check that you have met the following.

• Practice hours: 450 hours for one registration, with written evidence such as contracts, timesheets or role profiles.
• Continuing professional development: 35 hours relevant to your scope of practice, including at least 20 hours of participatory learning. If you are unsure what counts, read our guide to NMC participatory learning examples.
• Five pieces of practice-related feedback.
• Five written reflective accounts.
• A completed, signed reflective discussion form.

Per the May 2019 booklet, the confirmer does not check your health and character declaration or your professional indemnity declaration. You make those yourself when you apply.

A confirmer does not judge the overall quality of your practice, the quality of your reflective accounts or feedback, or whether you meet your employer's requirements, and they do not decide whether you should be revalidated. They confirm that you have met the requirements. They may ask you to explain a CPD activity if it is not clearly participatory or relevant.

Timing, the form and what you keep

The NMC says confirmation should take place in the final year (the final 12 months) of your three-year renewal period. The NMC notes that confirming earlier may prompt questions. You must use the NMC confirmation form, which asks for your confirmer's name, email, professional address with postcode and NMC PIN or other professional registration number where relevant, plus the date of the discussion.

You do not have to submit the form to the NMC. Keep it, on paper or electronically, as part of your records. The form holds personal data about your confirmer, so store it with care. In your MyNMC application you will be asked for your confirmer's details, and for your partner's NMC PIN. The NMC warns that entering a PIN by mistake will stop you proceeding with your application.

What happens if you are selected for verification

Each year the NMC selects a sample of applications for verification. Selection does not mean there are concerns, and you can keep practising while it is reviewed. The NMC says you will be told within 24 hours of submitting and paying whether you have been selected, and you then have 21 days to provide further information through MyNMC. The NMC may also contact your confirmer to verify that they provided your confirmation, and it asks confirmers to respond by the requested date. Your confirmer will want to see your hours too, so our guide to NMC practice hours shows how to record them.

Frequently asked questions

Can my line manager be both my confirmer and my reflective discussion partner?

Only if your line manager is a registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate. The reflective discussion partner must be an NMC registrant. If your manager is registered, the NMC says the reflective discussion can form part of the confirmation discussion.

Can my confirmer be someone I am friends with at work?

The NMC rules out family members and close friends. A colleague you work well with is not automatically a conflict, but you, your confirmer and your partner should all consider whether there is any conflict of interest or perceived bias. If there is a risk, use someone else.

Does my confirmer need to be on the NMC register?

No, not if they are your line manager. If you have no line manager, the NMC recommends an NMC-registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate, then other UK-regulated healthcare professionals.

Do I send the confirmation form to the NMC?

No. The NMC says you are not required to submit it at any point, but you must keep it safe as part of your records.

Next steps

Pick your confirmer and your reflective discussion partner early, check neither has a conflict of interest, and book the discussion well before your application date. You can find more NMC and wider professional learning guidance on our CPD hub.

This article is general information, not regulatory, legal or compliance advice. Always check the current requirements on the NMC website and in your MyNMC account.