Registered NursE in the United Kingdom
Every UK nurse should be on the Nursing and Midwifery Council's registry (NMC). For the registration process, the NMC adheres to strict standards for document verification and scrutiny. The following basic requirements must be met by a nurse before they can begin the registration procedure with the NMC:
Qualified in GNM/BS/Pc BSc. /MSc. (Nursing) with a proven proficiency in the English language with the IELTS test (Academic) at least 6.5 in Writing and 7 in Listening, Reading, and Speaking (or) OET with at least C+ in writing and B in Listening, Reading, and Speaking.
In the last six months, the findings of two tests may have been combined.
** Be on the lookout for fraudulent recruiters who give erroneous information regarding the application procedure.
NMC – An Overview
The Nursing authority in the UK is the NMC- Nursing and Midwifery Council It’s a regulatory body and competent authority for the register of nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses. The primary function of NMC is regulation. To begin, they work to raise the educational and professional standards of nurses, midwives, and nursing associates in the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Second, they have a list of licenced professionals on file who are eligible to practise. In the third place, they investigate concerns about nurses, midwives, and other nursing staff. In order to work as a nurse in the UK, you must be registered with the NMC.
NMC Process
NMC Process
The following are the step by step description of the process:
Step 1: Account creation.
Step 2: Complete eligibility & qualification application.
Step 3: Uploading documents supporting the qualification & professional registration.
Step 4: Application submission by making a payment of £140.
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The NMC will take about 35 days to complete the process of initial assessment and NMC will contact you once complete.
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On successful completion of the initial assessment, LEVEL 1 test of competence, CBT (Computer based test) can be booked and appeared from any part of the world.
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CBT exam is conducted by Pearson Vue, will send an invitation email to schedule the test after the initial verification from NMC.
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The cost will be £83.00
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On successful completion of the NMC’s tests of competence-Part-1, the applicant can begin the final stage of Registration. The steps involved are:
Step 1: General Health Declaration​
Step 2: Character Declaration / PCC
Step 3: English Language Proficiency evidence (IELTS / OET)
Step 4: Payment of Registration fee £153
Step 5: Identity and Biometric verification
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We advise nurses to complete second part of the registration as soon they pass the CBT and before they travel to the UK
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However, the LEVEL 2 test of competence, OSCE (Observed Structured Clinical Examination) has to be appeared from any of the test centres in the UK. You would need to complete the self-declaration before NMC issues your registration Number.
NMC Process Flow
NMC’s tests of competence:​
Computer Based Test (CBT) – Pearson VUE Test Centres across the world.
Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) conducted at the following 3 centres
1. University of Northampton, United Kingdom
2. Oxford Brookes University (Oxford & Swindon Campus) UK
3. Ulster University Northern Ireland
CBT EXAMINATION
Exam Format: The CBT examination has two parts. Part A is numeracy carries a weightage of 15 marks with 30 minutes duration, at the same time, Part B has clinical questions with 100 marks weightage and 2 hours and 30 minutes duration.
Fee Structure: The fee for the CBT exam is £83 for both A and B sections. In the case of failure of any single part; then the fee will be £50 for part A alone and £70 for part B alone.
OSCE - OBJECTIVE STRUCTURED CLINICAL EXAMINATION
Exam Format: The OSCE consists of ten stations.
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4 APIE stations
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Two pair of two clinical skills with one professional value and one evidence-based practice.
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Professional value and the evidence-based station are written stations and are a new addition to the latest test of competence. The marks for each station vary, and the time duration in total will be 2 hours and 45 minutes.
THE OSCE TEST FOR MIDWIVES
The midwifery OSCE assessment is similar to the adult test of competence with ten stations of four APIE and two pair of two skills. One linked skill will always include systematic examination of the new born and postnatal check. The duration of the pair will be between 20-30 minutes. The total period of the test will be for 2 hours and 45 minutes, the same as that of the adult test of competence.
OSCE Completion
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On success full completion of OSCE, the candidate can go ahead with the final step in the registration process with the NMC.
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The candidate will be issued with NMC pin number and thereby enters the NMC’s register.
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As a registered nurse the candidate is entitled to band 5 payments as per the NHS payment structure.
Occupational Health Clearance
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An Occupational Health Assessment is a medical examination performed by an Occupational Health Physician.
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The primary purpose of an occupational health assessment is to prevent work-related injuries.
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They can also identify any pre-existing conditions that make an employee more at risk of certain hazards.
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Most often, they determine whether an employee is physically suited for a particular job.
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Together with the job offer, you are usually sent an Occupational Health Clearance form.
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You must complete this and send it back to the Hospital Medical Staffing Department.
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The questions will be about your health history (e.g. vaccinations and diseases that you have had in your life).
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You must also provide your Hepatitis B status and evidence of immunity to Rubella, Varicella and TB.
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Once your employer receives this form, it is sent to the Occupational Health Department which then performs a ‘paper clearance’ based on the information that you have provided.
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Prior to starting your new job, you may have an appointment with the Occupational Health Department within the hospital to discuss your results further.
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There are many different types of occupational health assessments. The type of assessment you receive will depend on your job and comes in different forms.
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Pre-employment health checks: It's offered to new workers to identify any health-related issues that require support while at work.
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NHS Health Checks: Offered to everybody in England every five years.
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Health checks/lifestyle checks: There are general health checks offered to staff as part of an employee assistance programme.
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Health surveillance: Regular checks for existing personnel. It may be a legal requirement if your staffs after exposure to dangerous substances at works.