Moving to another country is a very exciting experience however it can often be a scary step to take. There is so much planning and preparation involved (housing, family, passports, immigration etc.) and that’s before you even begin working as a nurse.
When planning this article we spoke with nurse Jincy from India who is now working as a nurse in Maidstone, England. We asked her: How did you become a nurse in the UK?
Jincy told us:
Before registering for my nursing pin, I had no idea what to do and wish somebody had given me some advice. The NMC never made it 100% clear what I needed and I wasted a lot of time and money.
1. Register as a nurse in your home country and achieve the required qualification
If you’re reading this article we can assume you have already qualified as a nurse and are either in your home country (outside or inside the EU) or you are currently in the UK. Before you begin…
Make sure that you have a file containing all of the relevant certificates or registration numbers. The NMC will likely ask for these later in the process so make sure that you have them before you register. If you don’t have a copy, you can usually request them from the authorities.
2. Research the requirements
Anybody wanting to work in the UK as a nurse or midwife must register with the NMC (Nursing & Midwifery Council) to achieve a nursing qualification (often referred to as ‘a nursing pin.’)
You should research the requirements in detail to be confident that you know exactly what the expectations are.
The rules are slightly different for nurses in the EU and out of the EU. You should read through the relevant pages on the NMC website to get an understanding of everything that is required.
3. Pass the OET exam
This part is easier said than done! While you don’t need to prove your English ability until later in the process you should pass (or at least get close to passing) the OET exam before starting your application.
This is because once you begin an application you will have a deadline to provide your OET results. If you fail the test or are finding the test difficult, this might mean that the application expires and you will have to pay the fees again.
Everybody is different when it comes to their English ability. I had not studied much English before coming to the UK except for what I learned at school. I had tried practising the OET exam but didn’t know where to begin. I took the complete OET course at Fast Track IELTS and I know I wouldn’t have passed without them.
4. Start the application
Once you have completed the previous three steps, you should now begin the application. The fees are £140.
This part was the easiest and I just filled in the form on the NMC website. It took less than an hour and they asked for all of my personal details and to complete the application fees.
5. Pass the competency tests
You will then be required to pass the two competency tests: CBT and OSCE (outside the EU only). If you have passed inside the EU then the great news is that you can skip this part completely!
The CBT exam is a test of working quality for nurses nurses and midwives. The questions cover professional values, decision-making, communication skills and leadership.
The OCSE will act out scenarios which nurses and midwives are likely to come across in real-life working scenarios. The test is broken down into six scenarios or ‘statons’ and each of the six stations has a different situation for the nurse to be assessed against.
I was very frustrated with the competency tests, not because I had to take them but because of the fees! They cost over £1000 which was stressful for my family because I was not making a lot of money working in a care home. It was worth it eventually because now I earn much more as a registered nurse.
The full required fees are:
Application for nursing/midwifery £140
Part 1 test of competence (CBT) £130 (non-EU only)
Part 2 test of competence (OSCE) £992(non-EU only)
Admission onto our register £153
Total £1415 (non-EU) / £293 (EU national)
6. Relax and have a cup of tea
Well done you can now practice nursing in the UK! The final step is to register on to the NMC register which you can do on the OET website. The fees are £153.
One thing similar between India and the UK is our love of tea! After this process I needed a nice warm cup of tea to relax and look back on my journey.
It is indeed a long and sometimes stressful journey to register as a nurse in the UK but ultimately it is worth it.
How has your experience of registering with the NMC been? Do you have any questions about the qualification process? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Are you struggling to pass the OET exam? Book a free consultation with one of our teachers today to find out more about our online courses.