In the light of the “increasing pressures” on health and social care services caused by this new phase of the pandemic, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has reopened its Covid-19 temporary register to people in the UK who have trained internationally as nurses. This is providing that they are already on a pathway to their ‘OSCE’ exam and full NMC registration.
Employers can nominate international recruits who have started their NMC pathway but not yet joined the permanent register. Employers will need to assure us that people are fit, proper and suitably experienced to work in the emergency.
The NMC said it will begin to assess the employer nominations it received and start to contact people directly, inviting them to join the temporary register voluntarily. Those who choose to join will have conditions of practice, meaning they must:
- work as a registered nurse in an employed capacity for a health or social care employer
- always work under the direction of an NMC registered nurse or midwife or other registered healthcare professional who is not on a temporary register.
Employer nomination and assurance is the only route to temporary registration – people cannot apply directly to the NMC.
Andrea Sutcliffe, NMC Chief Executive and Registrar, said:
“Nursing and midwifery professionals continue to do amazing things to care for people during the pandemic. But we know Omicron is putting people and services under increasingly severe pressure. Reopening the temporary register to internationally trained nurses is an immediate step we can take to help.
“We’ve made this decision carefully. We feel we’ve taken a measured approach that enables a rapid workforce expansion, and the right assurance that people are suitable to practise during this emergency to protect the public.”
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