!!!! Just found out that I am eligible for a license with the UK!!!!! Here is my journey as an American nurse:
In 2010 after marrying my British hubby, I started to research into getting a British nursing license as well as British immigration. Although we were nowhere near moving to the UK (not least because it made no sense to go until DH gets dual citizenship), I wanted to look into the process because I am an obsessive planner. I applied for my first initial nursing job 6 months before I graduated from nursing school and currently I have five plans laid out for our finances over the next 10 years. In the end, we've decided to wait until after we have children (when they are old enough to remember it).
I was pretty discouraged as many posts suggested that Americans with the traditional BSNs (no ADNs allowed under the rules unless also have a BSN) didn't have nearly enough theory/clinical hours. The average American program has ~500-1000 clinical hours and ~2300 for the British program. Looking into the British nursing programs, it seemed like the students end up being in a hospital almost like a full-time job.
Then...this happened:
https://allnurses.com/united-kingdom-nurses/clinical-hours-short-506526.html
Member helricha had applied for a nursing license and didn't have all the required hours. While talking to a decision officer at the NMC (different from the first-line telephone answer folks), it turned out that the minimum they would accept (from American BSNs, I don't know if this applies to other countries) was 1,500 hours, at least half of which needed to be clinical hours and at least 1/3 of it being theory hours. More on this later.
I decided that I might as well try to apply for a license now as it would be better to try and know. If I didn't make the cut, I planned to ask if RN refresher courses with clinicals or graduate school with clinicals would count.
And so, I took the IELTS (academic). Yes, you may groan, but every system in the history of world has its idiosyncrasies, why should the NMC be so bereft? It's required of anyone not trained in the EU. My DH informed me that language requirements are not legal among countries in the EU, which is why an Italian had no need to take the IELTS, yet I as a native speaker, would. I briefly looked online to know what to expect, but I assumed it wouldn't be too hard as English is my first language. It ended up using a few more of my mental faculties than I imagined and I feel dreadfully sorry for those who have to take it as a second language. All in all, I ended up with a 8.0 in listening, 9.0 in reading, 7.0 in writing, and a 8.5 in speaking, having achieved the minimum "7." It was pretty awkward completing the speaking proportion and I ended up babbling a lot about how Communism decreased tourism in the 1970s...
Having received my scores, I requested the first packet from the NMC, which only took about two weeks. Along with the application form, I had to send in a certified copy of my birth and marriage certificate, a notarized copy of my nursing license, and a payment. I ended up doing this part over the phone as it was easier for my credit card to do the payment.
The second packet took about three weeks to get and took about a month for me to get everything ready. I had to get my board of nursing to sign a form of my good conduct, two references of good conduct from my managers, a signed form from my doctor of good health, and transcripts from my school. The important thing to remember here is that each form has to have a stamp/seal from the place from who is signing it. The BON and my doctor had stamps, so that was no problem. The hospital was, so I had them write a short letter on official hospital letterhead stating that there was no hospital stamp and that they had signed the form.
And now...the transcripts.
They have to be listed in hours instead of credits. The registrar office, due to the integrity of transcripts, would not print them out in hours, so I contacted my nursing school and asked how many hours each credit was worth. Once we calculated it all out, I made a template of all my nursing related classes and divided them into theory and clinical hours. I also listed my non-nursing classes like English and Math, but didn't include those in the total. I had the office print it out on official university letterhead and seal and to complete the form totaling all the hours.
I ended up with about ~700 theory hours and ~800 clinical hours. It just barely met the minimum, but I sent it all off in hopes. I was told that it takes about 5-7 weeks to make a decision. The NMC told me that they received everything on November 8th.
Today, on December 9th, I found out that I have been accepted!!! :clpty:
I will now figure out when I want to take the Overseas Nursing Programme (ONP). It's about a month, but some programs only have 3 in-class days and then you complete a workbook in between. Here's a http://www.nmc-uk.org/Approved-Programmes/ to where you can find places where you can take the ONP. Per the UKBA http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/student/visa/, you don't need a visa to do the ONP (and as per Bourneouth University for their program as I've asked). However, it is with extreme caution that I tell you this and I would NEVER lie about your intentions to a UK officer at the border and I would not take my word for it but you need to investigate this on your own. It can get you banned for life. Do NOT this info take this lightly.
I need to complete the ONP within two years otherwise start this process over again...no way Jose!
Now, a word on immigration. The economy sucks. Whether you think it's because of Bush or Obama, the US economy has tanked and is slowly recovering and due to the disproportionate influence over the rest of the world, we have dragged most other countries into it and the UK is no exception (although I'm sure Greece didn't help things out either...) What does this mean for the average person?
That the NHS is in financial trouble and is laying off many of its own nurses. A foreigner with no claim to EU citizenship or spouse of one has little chance of getting a job. Because...you would need company sponsorship and they have to prove that they can't hire anyone in the UK or the EU with your qualifications. In fact, the shortage occupation list only has NICU and OR (theatre) as needs right now and I doubt even then that someone with no ties would be able to get a job. By all means, you can try to get a license and keep it up for several years and wait to see if the economy improves. As memory recalls, it's 75 pounds a year to keep it current.
As someone who is the spouse of a UK citizen, I will have the same employment hiring rights as a UK citizen if I get "Indefinite Leave to Remain" (the UK green card equivalent), except for political and security hush-hush jobs, I'm sure.
In any case...I wish you luck and I will answer questions regarding the process if you like, but remember than I am no expert and my knowledge is only based upon my own experience. Just because I have been successful does not mean someone else would. I only ask that you read what I wrote here and don't ask things already answered...
NMC Overseas Registration Outline:
http://www.nmc-uk.org/Registration/Joining-the-register/Trained-outside-the-EU--EEA/
