Confidence and return to practice

Rebuilding Confidence Following Fitness to Practise

Fitness to Practise can shake the confidence of even the most experienced nurse or midwife. This course helps you understand the emotional impact, plan a safe return to work, and prepare to talk about your FtP history honestly at interview.

Instructor: Cathryn WattersFounder & mentor, Fit 2 Practise

5.0 out of 5 (31 reviews)500+ nurses and midwives supported

Healthcare professional looking ahead with confidence, representing the Rebuilding Confidence after Fitness to Practise course
About the course

About Rebuilding Confidence

The Fitness to Practise process can take a heavy toll, during the case and long after it ends. Many registrants describe losing confidence in their clinical judgement, worrying about how colleagues see them, and dreading questions at interview. This course is designed to help you rebuild.

It explores the challenges people commonly face, how to judge whether you are ready to return to work, how to approach interviews and disclosure, and the less visible impact of the process on wellbeing and identity. Each topic has a short quiz, and a recap and final assessment bring the learning together.

It is practical and supportive rather than clinical, and you can work through it at your own pace, whether your case is ongoing, you are working under conditions of practice, or you are returning after a suspension.

What you'll learn

  • Recognise the emotional and professional impact the Fitness to Practise process can haveWellbeing
  • Use practical strategies to rebuild professional and personal confidenceWellbeing
  • Judge whether you are ready to return to work, and plan a safe returnPreserve safety
  • Prepare honest, confident answers about conditions, gaps or your FtP history at interviewPromote professionalism and trust
  • Understand what employers may see on the NMC register and how to talk about itFtP process
  • Know where to find ongoing support, from peers to professional servicesWellbeing

Skills you'll gain

  • Professional confidence
  • Return-to-work planning
  • Interview disclosure
  • Wellbeing
  • Working under conditions
  • Finding support

Details to know

  • Certificate of completionDownloadable PDF with a verification ID
  • Taught in UK EnglishWritten for the NMC process in the UK
  • Counts towards CPDRecord it as CPD evidence for revalidation
  • Lifetime accessLearn on any device, at your own pace

Who this course is for

  • Returning after suspension

    You are planning a return to practice at the end of a suspension order.

  • Working under conditions

    You are practising with conditions of practice and want to rebuild confidence at work.

  • Struggling during a case

    Your case is ongoing and it is affecting your confidence and wellbeing.

  • Facing interviews

    You are applying for jobs and want to talk about your FtP history honestly and confidently.

The NMC process

Where this course fits in the NMC Fitness to Practise process

Highlighted stages are where Rebuilding Confidence helps most. Read our guide to every stage.

1Referral & screeningConcern assessed2InvestigationEvidence gathered3Case examinersCase to answer?4HearingFacts to sanction5Outcome & afterReviews and return1Referral & screeningConcern assessed2InvestigationEvidence gathered3Case examinersCase to answer?4HearingFacts to sanction5Outcome & afterReviews and return

At the end of a case, or of an order, you may be returning to work, working under conditions of practice, or looking for a new role. Suspension orders and conditions of practice orders are usually reviewed before they expire, and a review panel will want to see how you have used the time. This course helps you prepare for that next step.

If your case is still ongoing, the wellbeing topics can help now. If you are struggling, please also speak to your GP or occupational health; in a crisis you can call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time.

Fit 2 Practise is independent and not affiliated with the NMC. Our courses are general education, not legal advice. For advice on your case, speak to your union (such as the RCN, Unison or RCM), your indemnity provider or a regulatory solicitor.

Related reading

Returning to nursing after an NMC suspension

Looking after your mental health during an NMC investigation

Can I keep working during an NMC investigation?

Course curriculum

What's inside the course

Work through the lessons in order, at your own pace. Quizzes check your understanding as you go, and your progress is saved in your course hub.

12 steps7 lessons · 5 quizzes · about 5 hours
  1. What the course covers and how to use it at your own pace, wherever you are in the process.
  2. The learning outcomes across the four topics.
  3. The personal and professional challenges people commonly face during and after Fitness to Practise.
  4. How to judge whether you are ready, and how to plan a safe, supported return to practice.
  5. Preparing to talk about conditions of practice, gaps in employment or your FtP history honestly and confidently.
  6. The less visible effects of the process on wellbeing, identity and relationships, and where to find support.
  7. A recap of the four topics before the final assessment.
  8. A short quiz to check your understanding before you move on.
  9. A short quiz to check your understanding before you move on.
  10. A short quiz to check your understanding before you move on.
  11. A short quiz to check your understanding before you move on.
  12. A short quiz to check your understanding before you move on.
Earn a certificate

Get a certificate of completion

When you finish the course you can download a PDF certificate with a verification ID. Keep it as a record of your learning and continuing professional development.

Your instructor

Cathryn WattersFounder & mentor, Fit 2 Practise
Meet your instructor

Offered by

Fit 2 PractiseIndependent CPD courses, templates and 1:1 mentorship for nurses and midwives
About Fit 2 Practise
Included downloads

Resources included with this course

Practical templates and checklists that go with the course. Free when you enrol, or £2.99 each on their own.

Journal · 6 pages

Rebuilding confidence: 30-day journal prompts

Thirty short prompts to help you process the FtP experience, notice progress and rebuild professional confidence one day at a time.

Free with this course · £2.99 on its own
Planner · 4 pages

Return to work and interview disclosure planner

Plan your return to practice and prepare honest, confident answers about conditions, gaps or your FtP history at interview.

Free with this course · £2.99 on its own

All 2 resources are free when you enrol

Open them from your course hub once you have enrolled. Looking for something else? Every template and checklist is also sold on its own.

Browse all resources
Your instructor

Learn from people who understand Fitness to Practise

Cathryn Watters

Founder & mentor, Fit 2 Practise

Cathryn is a registered nurse with lived experience of the NMC Fitness to Practise process. She founded Fit 2 Practise to help nurses, midwives and nursing associates understand the process and respond to it with confidence.

She also founded NMCWatch: registrant care CIC, a peer-support and advocacy community for registrants, and mentors people one to one through every stage of their case.

About Fit 2 Practise 1:1 mentorship

Want personal support alongside the course?

1:1 mentorship with a registered nurse who has been through Fitness to Practise: help to understand your case, structure your reflection and prepare for each stage.

Explore mentorship Free intro call
Reviews

Ratings and reviews

How learners rate Rebuilding Confidence.

5.0 out of 5 from 31 reviews
  • 5 stars31
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  • 1 star0

All 31 learners who reviewed this course rated it 5 out of 5.

Questions

Rebuilding Confidence: frequently asked questions

Straight answers about the course and the part of the NMC process it covers. Can't see your question? Get in touch or read the general FAQs.

A suspension order is usually reviewed by a panel before it expires. The panel can let it expire, extend it, or replace it with conditions of practice, and it will look for evidence of how you have used the time, such as reflection, training and keeping your knowledge up to date. If you have been out of practice for a long time, check the NMC's revalidation and return to practice requirements. This course helps you plan the practical and emotional side of returning.
Be honest and prepared. Current conditions of practice and some other outcomes are visible on the NMC register, and employers may ask. A short, factual explanation that shows what you learned and how your practice has changed is usually far better than avoiding the subject. The interview and disclosure planner included with this course helps you prepare your answers.
Feeling anxious is very common. Returning gradually, with supervision and support where possible, can help. The course explores the invisible impact of FtP and practical ways to rebuild confidence. If anxiety is affecting your daily life, speak to your GP or occupational health.
Yes. Conditions of practice allow you to work, but set out requirements you must meet, such as supervision or restrictions on certain duties. You will need an employer who can support those conditions, and you must tell them about the conditions.
Your union, your GP and occupational health, and peer support from others who have been through the process, such as NMCWatch. Our 1:1 mentorship offers personal support from a registered nurse with lived experience of FtP. In a crisis, call Samaritans free on 116 123.
No. Many people take the course while their case is ongoing, because the topics on challenges and the invisible impact of FtP are relevant at any stage.

More questions?

Talk to us, read our free guide, or book a free call to find the right support for your stage.

Keep learning
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Reflection Writing for the Fitness to Practise Process

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Hearings

Attending a Fitness to Practice Hearing – what to expect

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