The Reflectory journal
Reflective practice, made practical
Plain-English guides to reflection, CPD and revalidation for HCPC and NMC registrants. Worked examples, templates, and straight answers to the questions clinicians actually ask.
- HCPC18 August 20266 min read
Reflective practice for clinical scientists: HCPC CPD when you rarely meet the patient
Clinical scientist is one protected title covering many modalities, and most reflective CPD advice assumes patient contact you may not have. Here is how to meet the HCPC standards when your work sits upstream of somebody else's decision.
Read the guide - 17 August 20266 min read
Supervising a student: how to turn practice education into a reflective account
Supervising a student is one of the most common things clinicians do and never write down. Both the HCPC and the NMC treat it as learning for the supervisor, not just the student. Here is how to write it up properly.
Read the guide - 16 August 20266 min read
Group reflection: how to turn a team debrief, Schwartz Round or journal club into your own reflective account
Group learning counts towards both HCPC CPD and NMC revalidation, but the account you submit has to be yours, not the room's. Here is a method for capturing what you personally took from a shared discussion.
Read the guide - HCPC15 August 20265 min read
Returning to the HCPC Register: how reflection counts towards your updating days
If you have been out of practice for two years or more, the HCPC asks you to complete a period of updating before you can return. Here is how many days you need, what counts, and why written reflection is the easiest part of it to evidence.
Read the guide - HCPC14 August 20266 min read
What happens if your HCPC CPD profile does not meet the standards first time
The HCPC audit has several stages between "not yet" and removal from the Register, and you stay registered through almost all of them. Here is what each outcome means, the deadline attached to it, and what to do next.
Read the guide - 13 August 20267 min read
CPD and revalidation for bank, agency and locum clinicians: building a record that travels with you
If your work is spread across several employers, nobody is collecting your CPD evidence for you. Here is how to keep practice hours, feedback, reflections and a confirmer in place when you have no fixed team and no annual appraisal.
Read the guide - 12 August 20267 min read
Can you use AI to write your reflective account? What the HCPC and NMC actually say
The regulators have not banned AI, but they are clear that your CPD profile and reflective accounts must be your own work. Here is what the published standards say, what the February 2026 joint regulator statement does and does not cover, and where the line between help and authorship sits.
Read the guide - NMC11 August 20266 min read
NMC revalidation after maternity leave, sick leave or a career break
Time away from practice does not move your revalidation date. Here is how the practice hours, CPD and reflective account requirements work after maternity leave, sick leave or a career break, and what to do if you are going to fall short.
Read the guide - 10 August 20266 min read
How to write a reflective account after a complaint about your practice
Complaints are among the hardest things to reflect on and among the most useful. Here is how to write a reflective account after one, what to leave out, and where it fits in your NMC revalidation or HCPC CPD portfolio.
Read the guide - 9 August 20266 min read
Can the HCPC or NMC ask to see your reflective notes?
Reflect honestly and you may wonder what happens to that honesty if a concern is later raised about your practice. Here is what the HCPC and the NMC actually say about reflective notes, insight, and what to do before you share anything.
Read the guide - 8 August 20266 min read
Preceptorship and reflection: how to make your first year on the register count
Your first year on the register is the year you learn the most and record the least. Both the NMC and the HCPC connect preceptorship directly to reflection. Here is how to use that, with a worked example.
Read the guide - 7 August 20266 min read
Clinical supervision as CPD: how to turn a supervision session into a reflective account
Most clinicians attend supervision and then record nothing. Supervision is one of the richest sources of reflective material you have, and both the HCPC and the NMC recognise it. Here is how to capture a session properly and turn it into an account you can use.
Read the guide - NMC6 August 20266 min read
NMC revalidation verification: what happens if you are selected
Verification is a random check on a sample of revalidation applications. Here is what the NMC asks for, how long you have, who else it contacts, and why your five written reflective accounts are never uploaded.
Read the guide - 5 August 20266 min read
Johns' model of structured reflection: a worked example for CPD and revalidation
Johns' model uses looking in, looking out and Carper's ways of knowing to structure a reflection. Here is how it works, with a worked example, and how it fits HCPC CPD and NMC revalidation.
Read the guide - HCPC4 August 20265 min read
What counts as CPD for the HCPC? The four types of activity that qualify
The HCPC does not set a number of CPD hours. It asks for a mixture of activity types relevant to your practice. Here are the four categories, with examples, and how reflection turns any of them into usable evidence.
Read the guide - 3 August 20265 min read
How to write the action plan in a reflective account (the 'now what')
Most reflective accounts describe an event well and then fizzle out at the end. The action plan is the part that proves your practice actually changed. Here is how to write it.
Read the guide - 2 August 20266 min read
The Rolfe reflective model: What? So what? Now what? with a worked example
The Rolfe model boils reflection down to three questions: what happened, so what does it mean, and now what will you do. Here is how to use it well, with a full worked example.
Read the guide - NMC1 August 20266 min read
When to start your NMC revalidation: a three-year timeline
Revalidation comes around every three years, and the people who find it stressful are usually the ones who left it all to the final month. Here is a year-by-year plan.
Read the guide - 31 July 20265 min read
How to reflect on something that went well (and why it still counts as CPD)
Most reflective accounts are about the shift that went wrong. Here is how to reflect on a positive event, why every UK regulator says it counts, and how to write it up without it sounding like a brag.
Read the guide - HCPC30 July 20266 min read
Reflective practice for arts therapists: turning art, drama and music therapy sessions into HCPC CPD
Arts therapists face the same 2.5 per cent HCPC audit as every other profession. Here is how to turn your sessions into CPD that meets the standards, without cramming the week before renewal.
Read the guide - HCPC29 July 20266 min read
Reflective practice for practitioner psychologists: turning therapeutic and assessment decisions into HCPC CPD
Psychologists reflect for a living, but HCPC CPD asks for something specific. Here is how to turn supervision, formulation and assessment decisions into an audit-ready record.
Read the guide - NMC28 July 20266 min read
The NMC revalidation checklist: all eight requirements in one place
Everything you need to gather for your three-yearly NMC revalidation, set out as a single checklist, with the reflective accounts and reflective discussion explained in plain terms.
Read the guide - NMC27 July 20266 min read
The NMC reflective account form: a field-by-field guide to the four boxes
The NMC reflective account form has four boxes, and each one asks for something different. Here is what belongs in each, with a worked example.
Read the guide - NMC26 July 20266 min read
NMC revalidation in a non-clinical role: how nurses in management, education and research meet the requirements
If you manage a team, teach, lead or do research, you can still revalidate with the NMC. Here is how practice hours, reflective accounts and confirmation work when your role is not clinical.
Read the guide - 25 July 20266 min read
How to reflect on a mistake or near miss for CPD and revalidation
Reflecting on what went wrong is exactly what the regulators want, and it is often your strongest CPD. Here is how to write it up honestly, safely, and without replaying the moment on a loop.
Read the guide - 24 July 20265 min read
How to keep a reflective journal for CPD and revalidation
Most reflection gets crammed into the week before a deadline. Here is how to keep a light, steady reflective journal that makes HCPC audit and NMC revalidation almost effortless.
Read the guide - HCPC23 July 20266 min read
Reflective practice for podiatrists: turning foot and lower-limb decisions into HCPC CPD
The HCPC lists reflection as a recognised CPD activity. Here is how podiatrists and chiropodists can turn everyday clinical decisions into a profile that meets all five standards.
Read the guide - HCPC22 July 20266 min read
Reflective practice for dietitians: turning nutrition and dietetic decisions into HCPC CPD
The HCPC does not set a minimum number of CPD hours or demand a fixed number of reflections. Here is how dietitians can use reflective practice to evidence the CPD standards, with a worked example.
Read the guide - 21 July 20265 min read
How long should a reflective account be? What the HCPC and NMC actually expect
Neither regulator sets a word limit, which leaves a lot of clinicians guessing. Here is how long a reflective account really needs to be, and why quality beats quantity every time.
Read the guide - 20 July 20265 min read
How to write a reflection on a course or study day (that actually counts as CPD)
Attending the course is the easy part. Here is how to write it up so it shows learning and change, not just attendance, whether you revalidate with the NMC or renew with the HCPC.
Read the guide - HCPC17 July 20266 min read
Reflective practice for speech and language therapists: turning communication and swallowing decisions into HCPC CPD
Speech and language therapists have no minimum CPD hours to hit, but they do have standards to meet and a two-year audit to be ready for. Here is what counts, and how to reflect on it.
Read the guide - NMC16 July 20266 min read
The NMC Code: the four themes, and how to reflect on them for revalidation
Every revalidation reflective account has to relate to the Code. Here is what the four themes mean in plain terms, and how to make that link clearly.
Read the guide - HCPC15 July 20265 min read
HCPC CPD for biomedical scientists: how to reflect on lab-based practice
Biomedical scientists are HCPC-registered too, but reflective-practice guidance is rarely written for lab-based work. Here is what the HCPC requires, who counts as your service user, and a worked reflection example.
Read the guide - 15 July 20265 min read
How to choose what to write about in a reflective account
Choosing the right experience does half the work of a good reflective account. Here is a simple way to pick one, and what the NMC and HCPC actually require.
Read the guide - HCPC14 July 20266 min read
How many CPD hours does the HCPC require? What the standards actually say
Nurses count 35 hours. Paramedics, physios and radiographers keep asking what their number is. The HCPC does not have one. Here is what it measures instead, and how to plan your cycle around outcomes rather than a total.
Read the guide - NMC13 July 20266 min read
NMC practice hours: what counts towards your 450, and how to log them
Practice hours are the requirement most nurses, midwives and nursing associates leave to the last minute, then panic about. Here is what the 450 hours actually means, what counts, and how to log them so your confirmer can sign you off.
Read the guide - HCPC12 July 20266 min read
HCPC CPD for operating department practitioners: your 2026 renewal and how reflection fits
Operating department practitioners renew their HCPC registration between 1 September and 30 November 2026, and a random sample will be asked for a CPD profile. Here is what the standards actually require, what the four-part profile contains, and how reflective writing carries most of the weight.
Read the guide - HCPC11 July 20266 min read
Reflective practice for radiographers: turning imaging and treatment decisions into HCPC CPD
Radiography is a technical profession, but it produces rich material for reflection. Here is how diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers can meet the HCPC CPD standards, with a worked example.
Read the guide - HCPC10 July 20265 min read
Reflective practice for occupational therapists: turning everyday judgement into CPD
Occupational therapy learning often hides in ordinary decisions, not dramatic events. Here is how to find those moments and write them up for your HCPC CPD.
Read the guide - NMC9 July 20265 min read
NMC practice-related feedback: what counts, and how to turn it into a reflective account
Practice-related feedback is one of the quieter NMC revalidation requirements, and one people leave until last. Here is what counts, how to gather five pieces, and how to record and reflect on them without breaching confidentiality.
Read the guide - HCPC8 July 20266 min read
What happens when you are selected for an HCPC CPD audit
Being picked for an HCPC CPD audit is random and routine, not a complaint. Here is the whole process, from selection to the final decision and appeal.
Read the guide - HCPC7 July 20265 min read
HCPC CPD for physiotherapists: the standards, the audit, and how reflection fits
There is no CPD hours target for physiotherapists. Here is what the HCPC standards actually require, how the two-yearly audit works, and how a good reflective account evidences the parts most people miss.
Read the guide - 6 July 20266 min read
Description versus reflection: how to turn what happened into what you learned
Most reflective accounts that fall short are not badly written. They just describe what happened without showing what changed. Here is how to cross that line.
Read the guide - 5 July 20265 min read
Which reflective model should you use? Gibbs, Rolfe, Driscoll and Johns compared
There is no single correct reflective model, and neither the HCPC nor the NMC makes you use one. Here is how the main models differ, and how to pick the one that fits your event and your registration.
Read the guide - NMC4 July 20266 min read
NMC CPD hours for revalidation: what counts, and how to log them
NMC revalidation asks for 35 hours of CPD over three years, at least 20 of them participatory. Here is what counts, and exactly what to record for each activity.
Read the guide - 3 July 20266 min read
How to anonymise a reflective account without breaching confidentiality
Your regulator expects reflection, but never at the cost of patient confidentiality. Here is how to anonymise a reflective account properly, with a before and after example.
Read the guide - 2 July 20266 min read
The Gibbs reflective cycle: the six stages, with a worked clinical example
The Gibbs reflective cycle turns a vague memory of a shift into a structured account. Here are the six stages in plain English, with a worked clinical example you can adapt for your portfolio.
Read the guide - HCPC2 July 20265 min read
HCPC CPD for paramedics: what you need, and a worked reflection example
Paramedics do not need a set number of CPD hours. Here is what the HCPC actually requires, where reflection fits, and a short worked reflection example.
Read the guide - NMC1 July 20265 min read
NMC revalidation: the reflective discussion and confirmation, explained
The five accounts get the attention, but the reflective discussion and confirmation are where nurses often get stuck. Here is who can take part in each and when to arrange them.
Read the guide - HCPC30 June 20266 min read
How to write your HCPC CPD profile for audit
If your name comes up in the 2.5% selected for HCPC audit, your CPD profile has to show how you meet five standards. Here is how to build one that passes.
Read the guide - HCPC30 June 20265 min read
HCPC reflective practice: what you actually need to record
HCPC works differently from the NMC. There is no set number of reflections, but you must keep a continuing CPD record and reflection is part of it. Here is what good looks like.
Read the guide - 30 June 20264 min read
Reflective writing after a difficult shift: a method for when your mind goes blank
The freeze in front of a blank reflection box is common, and it is not a thinking problem. Here is a step by step method that gets the reflection out without the dread.
Read the guide - NMC30 June 20265 min read
NMC revalidation: how to write your five reflective accounts
Every NMC registrant writes five reflective accounts per cycle. Here is exactly what each one needs, the four prompts on the official form, and a worked example you can model.
Read the guide
Turn your shift into a reflective account
Reflectory interviews you about a real clinical event and produces an audit-ready reflective account in your own words. About twenty minutes, start to finish.