27.08.14
NMC to introduce new system of checks on overseas nurses
Nurses and midwives who complete their training outside Europe will now face new assessments to check their eligibility to work in the UK, under new plans launched by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The regulator said that the new registration system, which will be introduced this autumn, will consist of two parts - a multiple choice computer-based exam and tests in simulated clinical scenarios.
These will replace the minimum three months of supervised clinical practice currently required, but nurse leaders have warned that they need more details to confirm the checks are fit for purpose.
According to the NMC, nearly 5,000 people who trained outside the European Economic Area – the majority from Australia, India or the Philippines – have registered with the it in the last five years.
Jackie Smith, NMC chief executive and registrar, said: “This approach to overseas registration is an internationally recognised and rigorous way of ensuring that those applying for registration who trained overseas are able to practise safely and effectively in the UK.
“The new process further demonstrates our continued commitment to making sure public protection remains at the heart of the systems and processes we use to maintain the register and reputation of the nursing and midwifery professions.”
Responding to the new regime for registering nurses, the Royal College of Nursing said that health care in the UK relies on the hard work and dedication of many nurses who trained overseas.
Janet Davies, executive director of nursing at the RCN, said: “These proposals may well form part of a more robust and consistent mechanism for ensuring that nurses who work in the UK are equipped to practice in the UK.
“However, we need to know more about how nurses will be evaluated as part of this system before we can judge whether or not the system is adequate.”
She added that improving the process by which nurses are registered is only part of what is needed, and that they must be supported and monitored when they are in clinical practice.
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