Internationally Educated Nurses

We are a diverse workforce including people from more than 50 nations across the world. Currently, we have around 200 international nurses working in different departments of the trust.

If you are a nurse who is trained outside the UK, you need appropriate UK NMC registration to work as a nurse in the NHS. The NMC are the independent regulator for the nurses and midwives in the UK and nursing associates in England.

As an overseas registrant /recruit you are required to undertake Part One of the Test of Competence, a computer-based test (CBT) which you will already complete before arriving.

Part two of the Test of Competence is a practical exam known as the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination). In this part, you will be tested on your clinical and communication skills. On successful completion of your OSCE, you will be added to the NMC register and are then able to practice as a registered nursing professional in the UK. You must undertake the exam in any of the NMC-authorised test centres in the UK.

There are five approved OSCE test providers:

• Oxford Brookes University
• University of Northampton
• Ulster University
• Northumbria University
• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

All the nurses who are employed via the overseas route will work as Band 3 health care professionals when they start in the trust, following the successful completion of OSCE with a valid PIN number they will then function as Band 5 registered nursing professionals.

Here in the trust, we offer a robust OSCE training programme which usually lasts for 6-8 weeks with a series of assessments of OSCE stations and mock tests before their exam which is led by the Professional Development Educators’ team.

All the training sessions are delivered by experienced educators. On completion of OSCE, they do receive a trust induction which provides the nurses with more information about the NHS practices, policies, and procedures to work as competent staff members. They also receive a 12-month preceptorship period with preceptor preparation training towards the end of the 12 months.

Preceptorship offers a structured start for newly qualified practitioners. This aims to welcome and integrate newly registered practitioners into their new team and place of work. Besides this, the nurses will receive constant support from the ward areas and from the clinical educators which includes point-of-care teaching, pastoral support, and clinical supervision.