Preparing for Care Quality Commission registration as an aesthetic practitioner

Reflective writing is evidence of reflective thinking: looking back at an event after it has happened and analysing it

Registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) can seem a daunting but inevitable prospect, especically if you are working alone without a team for support. The focus of this article will help those working within teams and as sole practitioners to prepare for CQC registration and, most importantly, their rating inspection. Self-reflection in all areas of clinical practice and experience is now part of normal life for nurses working in most areas of healthcare, particularly since the introduction of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) revalidation in 2016. Reflection underpins much of the process of revalidation that all nurses and midwives in England need to follow to maintain their registration with the NMC (NMC, 2016). It is used by health professionals to consider their experiences and to review their clinical practice. It supports practitioners in improving the way that they work and the quality of care that they provide to their patients (Taylor, 2010). This article will explore how reflection can support the aesthetic nurse when providing evidence of sound governance to the CQC.