HOW TO MOVE TO THE UK TO PRACTICE AS NURSE WITHIN 6 MONTHS

In my earlier article, I took you through the process of assessing your readiness for the NMC-UK registration, I explained what you need beforehand and the process of applying for the evaluation and eligibility assessment. I explained the two main tests that you will need to pass for your registration to progress including CBT and IELTS. I would aim to explain to you in this article the next stage after you have successfully passed the CBT and IELTS.  

First, passing the two tests means you already have one of your legs in the UK, congratulations on that. But you need to decide to either submit your final registration or wait to complete it once in the UK. Don’t worry I will explain this. The UK-NMC registration is in stages, the first as I mentioned earlier is the evaluation and eligibility application stage which allows you to be registered for the Test of competence Part one and two. The part one is the CBT which you must write in your home country, and part two is the Objectively Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) which you can only write in the UK.

However, once you have passed the CBT and IELTS, you will be able to submit your final registration and make payments, but this will not be assessed by the NMC until you have passed the OSCE. Therefore, you can withhold this stage and save yourself the cost until you have arrived in the UK and completed your OSCE. At which point you may already be earning and can easily pay off without getting stressed out.  

You should note, however, some employers, particularly the recruitment agencies will require you to have submitted your registration before they consider you for the recruitment.  

Next, you need to start searching for jobs in the UK. Trac.jobs is a centralized online platform for jobs in the NHS. You should create an online account and start applying. Remember this is a recruitment portal in the UK, so some of them do not apply to you as oversea trained nurse. Hence search for jobs that specifically advertise oversea nurses, international nurses, non-EU overseas trained nurses, OSCE nurses and those that advertise to offer certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). These are the jobs you can apply for. Send applications to as many NHS trusts as possible until you have an offer.  

Another, strategy to get a quick offer is to ask your friends (if any) to give you emails of employers who are currently recruiting, send direct emails with your CV attached.  

At present, there are not many recruitment agencies recruiting from many developing countries due to the WHO ethical recruitment principles and you should find out if your country is on red or amber list and what it means. However, most private hospitals and Care Homes recruit through recruitment agencies and you should find out if your agency is on the NHS ethical recruiters list.  

An important part of the application process is the part where you will have to give supporting information in support of your application, make use of this space carefully. Read the person specification section of the advertisement before tackling it. Preparing for interviews will be discussed later. 

Once you are successful with your interviews, you will be offered a provisional appointment. You should make sure to inform your referees (usually two is enough and should be from most recent experience) as they will be contacted. You should also gather your vaccination records including Hepatitis B, Measles, Rubella, Mumps, TB and now Covid-19. You may have to supply proof of immunity if you do not have your vaccination records. In my case I didn’t have record for MMR, so I had to get it done in South Africa through MDS lancet Ghana, which delayed me a bit. Another thing that delayed me was TB Pre-departure test which can only be done at IOM Health Assessment. I had appointment a month after my conditional offer. So always prepare and book ahead in advance. You can always cancel it and reschedule when you are not ready. 

You should always check your email including spams to be up to date, once they are satisfied with your information and the references, you will be issued a CoS. You will need this CoS together with TB pre-departure screening certificate, IELTS results, Certificate of Good Conduct from Ghana Police Service and of course your passport to complete the visa application.  

Some organizations may do the visa processing and book your flight for you, but you will have to attend the biometric capture by yourself.  

 You can travel with your family, but it is always a good decision to go on your own first. This is important as your first one- or two-month free accommodation would not cover your family and you will all struggle to cope with an unfamiliar environment.  

Congratulations! You’re in the UK! What next?  

You will be prepared by your organization to write and pass the test of competence part 2 (OSCE). However, while preparing for this exam and waiting for your NMC-UK registration, you will work and be paid as a Senior Health Care Assistant, Clinical Support Worker or any name given by your organization, but the salary will be the same irrespective of the title.

Your job title and for that matter your salary will be changed to Staff Nurse (Band 5) from the date you enter the NMC-UK register. It is your responsibility to check your application portal and update your manager.  

Now you are a UK RN! Congratulations, Build your career now with enthusiasm. Working in the UK comes with self-satisfaction and accomplishment.  

Leave a comment if you need further information or if you enjoy this article.  

Authored by Kwame Awiagah 

The author is the founder and Co-Editor of www.medhealth.info. He is also a member of the Ghana Medical Journalist Association, member of World Federation of Science Journalist, and a member of the Royal College of Nursing-UK. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University for Development Studies, Ghana, MPhil in Medical Microbiology from the University of Ghana and currently enrolled in a Post Graduate Certificate Course in Infectious Disease Modelling: Mathematical Techniques at the University of Oxford, UK. Mr. Awiagah is registered with NMC-UK and Ghana respectively and currently working at an intensive care unit as registered nurse in a leading UK NHS Trust. 

Contact: awiagah@medhealth.info/ awiagahsherrif@gmail.com