From April 2016 nurses and midwives will undertake a process of revalidation every three years. This has created some anxiety among practitioners. However, the Nursing and Midwifery Council pilot sites have shown that many nurses and midwives have found the process beneficial. This first article in a series of eight outlines why nurses need to revalidate, the potential benefits for patients and the profession and how revalidation links to the NMC Code. Subsequent articles will explore how revalidation works in practice.