Nursing and midwifery
A career as a nurse or midwife is inspiring, challenging and rewarding. The contribution of nurses and midwives to people’s health and well-being is highly valued in the United Kingdom (UK) and indeed globally. Opportunities for employment are wide ranging and include: •
public services – for example hospitals, clinics, nursing and residential homes or prisons
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independent organisations – for example private hospitals, clinics or the pharmaceutical industry
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voluntary sector – for example hospices and charitable organisations.
Checklist: why study nursing and midwifery in the United Kingdom?
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The United Kingdom has an excellent reputation globally for providing high-quality nursing and midwifery education.
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The provision of nursing and midwifery education is governed by the NMC and the QAA, ensuring the highest quality.
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Education in nursing and midwifery integrates theory and evidence-based practice.
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Living and training in the UK will improve your English language skills.
Teaching is world class and delivered by qualified nurse and midwifery teachers and other experts. Programmes promote graduate skills including IT, communication, team work and lifelong learning, which are all valued by future employers.
1 What can I study? Becoming a nurse or midwife To be a nurse or midwife requires students to undertake programmes of study that integrate theory and evidencebased practice in the classroom and clinical setting. Programmes are delivered in equal parts within higher education institutions (HEIs) and clinical settings, for example in the client or patient’s home, in hospitals, clinics, in schools and in the workplace. Nursing and midwifery is regulated in the UK by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and successful completion of nursing and midwifery programmes leads to an academic award and registration on the relevant part of the UK NMC register. These programmes are offered in many of the HEIs across the UK in partnership with local clinically based service providers. The programmes of study for nursing and midwifery reflect the future clinical roles and responsibilities of the newly qualified health professional and programmes are specifically designed to meet the requirements of the government health departments as well as the needs of local communities. Nursing and midwifery
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Nursing Nursing demands a strong commitment to caring for individuals in a variety of settings, to promote health and wellbeing, provide therapeutic nursing care to patients and their families and to support patients and their families at the end of life. Nurses focus on the needs of the individual, rather than specific illnesses or conditions. They help individuals and their families to live more comfortable lives by providing care, advice and counselling. Nursing offers the opportunity to train as an adult nurse, children’s nurse, mental health nurse or learning disability nurse. More information can be found at: www.rcn.org.uk/nursing/becomenurse and www.ucas.com. Nursing programmes are required to be at least three years full-time or the equivalent part-time and are offered at diploma and degree level, except in Wales where programmes are offered only at degree level. There are also opportunities to undertake training at postgraduate level at some HEIs. Some HEIs now offer opportunities to have previous learning assessed through a process of AP(E)L, which could lead to the three-year programme being completed in a shorter period. This might apply to graduates, particularly those who have degrees in psychology, life sciences or biology, or to others with appropriate experience. The three-year full-time programmes comprise a one-year Common Foundation Programme (CFP) and a two-year branch (adult, child, mental health or learning disability) programme. The CFP provides the foundation knowledge that underpins nursing practice and clinical skills necessary for clinical practice. The two-year branch programme builds and further develops knowledge, understanding and skills specific to the roles of the adult, child, mental health and learning disability nurse. There are some limited opportunities to complete a combined learning disability nurse and social work programme leading to a joint award and qualification. This area of practice requires a very co-ordinated, multi-professional approach. The dual qualification of registered social worker and registered nurse facilitates a more holistic approach to the provision of social and care interventions to clients and their families.
Midwifery Midwives play an initial role in supporting, guiding and caring for the mother, baby and family through the months of pregnancy, during the birth itself and afterwards in the post-natal period. The provision of maternity services is multiprofessional and the midwife is integral to the team, ensuring that care and services are focused on the needs of the mother, baby and family. The midwife may often play the most important role in supporting and guiding parents in their choice of maternity provision, advising and promoting healthy choices for the mother and baby, supporting women in birthing their baby, either in a hospital or in the family home and providing counselling and intensive support in more complex situations. More information can be found at: www.nhscareers.nhs.uk and www.ucas.com. Midwifery programmes are delivered over three years and are offered at degree level in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. If registered with the NMC as a level 1 nurse (adult) then the programme is a minimum of 18 months.
Checklist: which programme should I choose?
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Midwifery – degree only from September 2008. Nursing – adult, child, mental health or learning disability. Diploma in HE in Nursing. Degree in nursing.
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2 Entrance Academic requirements All applicants have to provide evidence of numeracy and literacy, which is often assessed during the interview or application process. Where the International English Testing Language System (IELTS) is offered in evidence of literacy this should be at no less than a score of 7.0 overall. Diploma programmes normally require five GCSEs or equivalent for example GNVQ plus GCSEs or AVCE health and social care double award. Degree programmes normally require a minimum of two A-levels or two Scottish Highers plus five GCSEs/O-levels at grades A–C (to include English language plus either mathematics or a science subject) or equivalent. Students who successfully complete an Access to Health or Nursing course at a further education college normally meet the requirements for the diploma or degree programme. Merits and distinctions in related BTEC National Diplomas may also be considered.
Disability All programmes comply with national requirements for disability discrimination. No student is prevented from applying because of disability, the requirement being that they must be able to meet the required standard to practice safely and effectively on completion of their programme. Reasonable adjustments will be considered in partnership with the applicant in order to provide every opportunity to meet the required standards. Where it is considered unlikely that the applicant will be able to meet the standards then reasons will be given so that applicants might consider an alternative career path.
Health requirements Preparation to be a nurse or midwife requires students to be sufficiently fit to be able to engage with the programme and not to be a risk to patients and clients. Therefore, all applicants who are successful at interview and/or application have to provide evidence of their health status and will undergo an occupational health screening process.
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks An enhanced CRB or equivalent check will be undertaken for all successful applicants. This is a legal requirement for students working with vulnerable people. This can take a considerable time if the applicant has travelled widely as a check is carried out for each country.
3 Professional development and post-qualification programmes Nursing and midwifery are dynamic professions and their roles within health-care environments are constantly developing in response to changes in health and social care agendas. The pre-registration programmes prepare nurses and midwives for practice as newly qualified health professionals but responsibility as a registered nurse or midwife includes continuing to maintain and develop professional knowledge and expertise. There are a wide range of post-qualification educational opportunites provided at a number of HEIs. These programmes often reflect the locality of the HEI in relation to health care providers and the services offered, and therefore the educational needs of health care professionals. There is an increasing focus on developing programmes that promote and facilitate inter-professional education reflective of the multi-professional work of nurse and midwife. Post-qualification education is provided at an undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level. HEIs provide a range of programmes aimed at developing specialist practice across all fields of nursing practice including: • • • • • • • •
critical care emergency and non emergency care perioperative care medical care cardiac, cardio-thoracic and respiratory care diabetes palliative and oncology care infection control
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tissue viability family health neonatal care psychological therapy and interventions counselling.
These programmes may be offered at either or both undergraduate and postgraduate level and may lead to an additional NMC specialist practice recordable qualification in either adult, children’s, mental health or learning disability nursing. In midwifery programmes may include: • • • • • •
examination of the newborn managing obstetric procedures leadership reproductive and sexual health care managing midwifery led care midwifery high-dependency/critical care
These may be offered at either or both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
4 Specialist community public health nursing and specialist practice community programmes There are a number of post-qualification programmes that lead to either a sub part of the NMC nursing register specialist community public health nursing (SCPHN) or to a recording of a community specialist practice (SPQ) on the register. These include: • •
specialist community public health nurse – health visiting, school nursing, occupational health nursing specialist practice community nursing – district nursing, practice nursing, community mental health nursing, community learning disability nursing.
Access to these programmes is often limited because of the need for specialist clinical practice opportunities that are compulsory for qualification. More information is available at: http://www.nmc-uk.org and www.nhscareers.nhs.uk.
5 Other programmes In addition, at a postgraduate level, programmes are offered in the areas of advanced professional practice, education, management and leadership and research. Doctoral studies are offered at many of the HEIs providing post-qualification education. Again there is a range of opportunities including PhD, taught doctorate, clinical doctorate and Doctorate in Education for those pursuing a career in nursing or midwifery. These lists are not exhaustive; for more information regarding post-qualification careers, see www.nhscareers.nhs.uk or individual HEI websites.
Entry criteria Undergraduate studies Normally applicants will have successfully completed a Diploma in Higher Education or equivalent. For applicants who do not hold this level of academic qualification, some accreditation is normally offered, based on the applicant’s registration as a health professional. This will be dependent on the academic level or equivalence of the preregistration programme studied. HEIs offer the opportunity to apply for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) and/or Accreditation of Prior or Experiential Learning (APEL). Information regarding this process is normally available on the HEI prospectus, on the website or by contacting the APL/APEL co-ordinator. Nursing and midwifery
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The length of the undergraduate programme will depend on prior academic study and the specific programme being applied for. Normally, undergraduate programmes are one or two years full-time; two to five years part-time.
Postgraduate studies Normally applicants will have successfully completed a degree in a nursing, midwifery or health-related subject. Some HEIs require applicants to have completed a degree with a good honours classification. Applicants who have exceptional experience within their professional field may be accepted on to a postgraduate programme without a first degree.
Doctoral studies Normally applicants will have successfully completed a postgraduate programme and gained an MA or MSc award or equivalent. Applicants who have exceptional experience within their professional field may be accepted on to a doctoral programme without a Master’s degree.
Checklist: post-qualification programmes • • • • • • •
What are your areas of interest, specialist practice or expertise? What are your future career aspirations? What level are you aiming to study at? What level are your current academic qualifications? You can check these at www.naric.org.uk. Will you need to accredit your qualifications? Discuss this with the institution you are considering applying to. Does the programme you are interested in require a placement in clinical practice in the UK? Do you need to register with the NMC?
6 Registering as a professional To practice as a nurse or midwife in the UK, you must register with the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC). The NMC maintains the professional register and it is not possible to gain employment or to access some post-qualification educational programmes in the UK without this registration.
English language proficiency All international nurses must provide evidence of their ability to communicate adequately in English. It is now compulsory for all applicants to achieve a minimum score of 7.0 in each category and an overall score of 7.0 in the IELTS system before being considered for admission to the register.
EU qualified nurses and midwives For those wishing to apply for registration with the NMC, an application pack can be found at: www.nmc-uk.org.
Non-EU nurses and midwives The NMC considers each application individually following payment of a fee and scrutiny of the applicant’s documents. The minimum requirement is that you are a registered nurse or midwife in your home country; however, it is important to note that the NMC does not recognise all overseas qualifications. The NMC will advise you whether you are able to register. You will need to undertake the NMC’s Overseas Nurses Programme if you are a nurse or an Adaptation to Midwifery programme if you are a midwife before registration is possible. You can find more information at www.nmcuk.org.
UK Registered nurses and midwives working overseas Although the training programmes for both nursing and midwifery are widely accepted internationally, it is important to contact the licensing, registering or governing body in the country that you intend to work in. You will need to establish whether you can register in that country or if you need to undertake further study, practice or assessment. It is important to explore these issues prior to making any decisions with regard to applying to study in the UK.
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7 What else do I need to know? The regulations for entry into the UK are constantly changing and it is vital that you check the Home Office UK Border Agency website (www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk) on a regular basis and check locally with your British Mission so you are aware of how UK immigration procedures will affect you. With the introduction of the new Australian-style points-based system you will need to keep even more up to date with the new immigration system changes when applying for a visa or work permit. For information on the points-based system go to http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/howchangesaffectyou/ For advice on working in the UK: www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk. For advice about visas: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/ For practical advice on living in the UK download Studying and living in the UK from: www.educationuk.org/bc_img/body/articles/pdfs/stud_live_uk.pdf.
8 Where can I find more information? The British Council has produced the Education UK portfolio to provide international students with a wide range of information and guidance that will help them find out more about studying a UK course and other important issues, such as applying to study, entry clearance and living in the UK. The portfolio includes: • • • • •
The Education UK website and a number of country websites containing locally relevant information – www.educationuk.org the essential guides to education in the UK: Undergraduate and pre-university,* Postgraduate and MBA* Universities, colleges and schools * Club UK magazine,* also available online at www.educationuk.org/clubuk Postgraduate UK magazine.*
* The publications are available at a selected number of British Council offices for students to use. The Education UK websites are a valuable source of information, with a database of over 450,000 courses and profiles of institutions that contain details of entry requirements and course fees.
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The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 23 Portland Place London W1B 1PZ
NMC Overseas Registration Department 23 Portland Place London W1B 1PZ
Telephone +44 (0)20 7637 7181 Fax +44 (0)20 7436 2924 www.nmc-uk.org.uk
Telephone +44 (0)20 7333 6600 Fax +44 (0)20 7636 6935 E-mail overseasreg@nmc-uk.org.uk E-mail confirmation@nmc-uk-org.uk www.nmc-uk.org.uk
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) Rosehill New Barn Lane Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL52 3LZ
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Thistle House 91 Haymarket Terrace Edinburgh EH12 5HE
Telephone +44 (0)870 1122200 E-mail enq@ucas.ac.uk www.ucas.com
Telephone +44 (0)13 1313 8000 Fax +44 (0)13 1313 8001 E-mail enquiries@nes.scot.nhs.uk www.nes.scot.nhs.uk
NHS Careers P O Box 376 Bristol BS99 3EY
Royal College of Midwives 15 Mansfield Street London W1G 9NH
Telephone +44 (0)84 5606 0655 Fax +44 (0)84 5850 8866 www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
Telephone +44 (0)20 7312 3535 www.rcm.org.uk
Central Applications to Training Clearing House (CATCH) Box 21 Edinburgh EH2 2YS
Royal College of Nursing 20 Cavendish Square London W1G 0RN
Telephone +44 (0)13 1220 8660 E-mail careers@nes.scot.nhs.uk www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/nursing/recruitment/Catch/
Telephone +44 (0)20 7409 3333 www.rcn.org.uk The website has an online enquiry form.
Other useful resources Healthcare Professions Courses 2005 (UCAS/Trotman; 2005, ISBN: 0 856609579) the complete guide to health care professions; over 5,000 courses in 18 sections are listed and information includes entry requirements, descriptions of each discipline and common course characteristics. Progression to Health and Social Care 2009 (UCAS 2009 ISBN: 978 1 84361 093 9) – this covers advice on applying through UCAS, routes to qualifications, course details, job prospects, case studies and career advice.
April 2008 Š British Council 2008 The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).
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