The UK is one of the greatest employers of healthcare workers across the globe. Presently, healthcare workers in UK comprise 1 in 10 of the total workforce and the country is still witnessing a growing demand for healthcare professionals. As a result, the UK has started recruiting more and more healthcare professionals from overseas, opening up great opportunities for Ghanaian nurses who wish to expand their careers and work abroad. If you are an aspiring healthcare professional who wants to work in the UK as a nurse, you need to satisfy certain necessary requirements.
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How to apply for nursing job in UK from Ghana
Registering with the NMC is your first step to working as a nurse in the UK. To help you through registration, we have put together this quick step-by-step guide for nurses trained in Ghana.
English language requirements
All applicants must show they can communicate clearly and effectively in English by undertaking the International English Language Test (IELTS) with a score of 7.0. NMC will verify the scores with the IELTS organization. Clubbing two IELTS certificates obtained in the period of 6 months is allowed. In this case, the minimum acceptable score to be clubbed is 6.5. The NMC also accepts the Occupational English Test (OET) results.
Practice requirements
At the time of the application, the applicant must have practiced as a registered nurse or midwife for at least 12 months (full time or the part-time equivalent) after qualifying. This post-registration experience must be relevant to the field of practice the applicant is applying for. If the applicant has not undertaken any duties as a registered nurse or midwife in the three years prior to making their application, they should contact NMC to discuss available options.
Registration requirements
Applicants must hold a current registration or license without restriction with the licensing authority or registration body in the country in which they qualified or have been practicing. NMC will require verification from that authority
Education requirements
Applicants must have successfully completed at least 10 years of school education before starting a post-secondary education in nursing or midwifery training which should be at least a three-year programme (diploma).
New applicants
- Applicants must complete an online self-assessment of their eligibility to apply before beginning the application process. There are different fees for different stages of the application process:
- Application for nursing/midwifery £140
- Part 1 test of competence (CBT) £90
- Part 2 test of competence (OSCE) £794
- Admission onto our register £153
- Total £1,177
Examinations
Each professional field of nursing, including adult (general), children’s, learning disabilities, mental health, and the midwifery profession, is examined by our NMC’s test of competence. Part one is a multiple-choice Computer Based Test (CBT), written in Ghana, and part two is a practical examination called an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), taken in the UK.
Assessment
- Applicants will need to provide the following evidence in order to complete an assessment:
- A valid passport. This same document must also be presented at the test centre.
- Birth certificate
- A qualification certificate for each qualification being submitted as part of the application
- Registration certificates from each jurisdiction where the applicant has practised and/or been registered
- Two employment references confirming the applicant’s post-registration practice of at least 12 months, their competence and character
- Verifications from all jurisdictions where the applicant practised or where the applicant has been previously registered
- Transcript of training for all relevant nursing or midwifery programmes completed by the applicant. These must be calculated in hours or be accompanied by a letter from the training institution with a key to how the credits translate to hours
- A good health declaration from the applicant’s general practitioner or the occupational health department at their place of work
- A police clearance certificate from all countries where the applicant has lived since the age of 18
Identification check
Applicants are required to attend a face-to-face identification check at the NMC office in London. At the ID interview, you must produce the original versions of the documents you sent photocopies of. They will make final checks on your previous registration, and take a photograph for their records.
Final registration
Once NMC has received notification that an applicant has successfully completed part two of the test of competence and the ID check, they will be invited to complete their final declaration and payment for registration online. Once both have been received, you will be sent your PIN (personal identification number), confirming that you are fully registered with the NMC. Your registration will then show up on the NMC register online.
Applicants should be aware that they will be required to meet the full requirements of the UK’s immigration processes separately.
So, if you too are looking to expand your career as a professional nurse by working in the UK, here is your chance to apply now.