Practice hours - Minimum practice hours requirement and how to meet it

Sep 12, 2026

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Guide explaining how to meet the minimum practice hours requirement over a three-year period since registration was last renewed or a person joined the register. Specifies minimum hours by role (nurse, midwife, nursing associate, and nurse/midwife combinations, including triple registration). Clarifies what practice hours count, such as direct patient care as well as managing teams, teaching, and shaping or running a care service. Includes options for return to practice or a test of competence if hours are insufficient, and recommends using a practice hours log template.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Requirement

Minimum practice hours required

Meeting the requirement

What practice hours count

Resources and templates

Practice hours log template

Multiple registrations and additional qualifications guidance sheet

Examples of completed forms and templates

Practice hours Last Updated: 26/05/2021 n this guide Requirement Meeting the requirement Resources and templates Requirement Back to top You must have practised for a minimum number of hours over the three year period since your registration was last enewed or you joined the register. Minimum practice hours required | Nurse | | | --- | --- | | 450 hours | | | Midwife | | | 450 hours | | | Nursing associate | | | 450 hours | | | Nurse and SCPHN | | | 450 hours | | | Midwife and SCPHN | | | 450 hours | | | Nurse and midwife (including nurse/SCPHN and midwife/SCPHN) or nursing associate and nurse | | | 900 hours (to include 450 hours for nursing , 450 hours for midwifery, 450 hours for nursing associate) | | | Triple registration as a nurse , midwife and nursing associate | | | 1 ,350 hours | | f you haven't practised for the required number of hours, then you must successfully complete an approved return to practice programme or a Test of Competence before the date of your application for renewal of registration. Meeting the requirement Back to top You should make sure that your practice hours reflect your current scope of practice, but they do not have to be related o what you were originally doing when you first joined the register. The hours that count towards this requirement are those in which you rely on your skills, knowledge and experience asa registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate. This may include providing direct care to patients but can also include managing teams, teaching others and helping to shape or run a care service. Resources and templates Back to top We recommend that you use our practice hours log template to help you record your practice hours. This will make it easier to demonstrate to your confirmer how you have met the requirement. Practice hours log template (recommended) You can use this template to help you record your hours. Multiple registrations and additional qualifications guidance sheet This guidance sheet has information for people with more than one registration. Examples of completed forms and templates See pages 18-22 in our 'How to revalidate with the NMC' guidance for more details.

FAQs

How many practice hours are required over the three-year period?

Minimum practice hours are 450 for nurses, midwives, nursing associates, and each listed combined role. For nurse and midwife (with required sub-allocations) it is 900 hours, and triple registration as a nurse, midwife and nursing associate requires 1,350 hours.

If I have not completed the required practice hours, what must I do?

If the required hours were not met, you must successfully complete an approved return to practice programme or a Test of Competence before applying for renewal of registration.

What types of work count toward the practice hours requirement?

Hours count when you rely on skills, knowledge and experience as a registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate. This may include direct patient care, managing teams, teaching others, and helping shape or run a care service.

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by James