American New Grad finding a nursing job in London

[efda2rn]

Hi! This is a fact-finding request. My husband has a good chance at getting offered a job in London. Luckily, I will be able to finish my BSN nursing program before this job would start, so I won't need to worry about transferring my education.

I have already done some research and discovered that the NMC recently lifted a requirement thereby making it a bit easier for foreign nurses to find work in the UK. I know that accommodations in London are very expensive: thank goodness the company would provide accommodations as a part of his employment package! I am also aware that the pay for nurses in the UK is lower than what I can expect in most places in the US and have looked into their salary schedule: I found out that beginning nurses are Band 5 at that those positions start at GBP 26,290 with the high cost area modifier.

What I would really like to know is if hospitals in the UK are even remotely likely to hire a new grad from the US.

A little about me: I will have my BSN from a well-respected school; STTI membership; and once I have finished my program, I will have about 540 hours experience in a specialty (hopefully critical care) from my senior practicum. I speak English, but unfortunately do not speak any other languages. I have no other nursing experience as my previous history was in dental.

Thanks in advance!

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

What requirement have they made easier? NMC state that they require you to have 12 months full time or equivalent part time hours experience to register with them as well as pass computer test and practical at a authorized university plus English exam. Having experience will certainly make things easier when looking for a employer but London may be a bit easier as a new grad as nurses are always in demand due to the high cost of living there.

https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/registration/registering-as-a-nurse-or-midwife-from-outside-eu-or-eea.pdf

[efda2rn]

I'm having difficulty locating the article, but it was written in 2015 and stated that the NMC had replaced the Overseas Nurse Programme with the competency test, I believe, as a part of the foreign licensure process. The article implied that this was due, in part, to the recent loss of somewhere around 5000 nurses.

I just read through that pdf. That required year of experience is going to throw a major wrench into the works for me, unfortunately. If he is offered the position, he would need to go over March or April of 2017. I graduate in June of 2017 and hoped to join him as soon as I had passed the NCLEX. If he gets this job, it's either go with him immediately and let my license get stale or live without him for at least a year while I get the necessary years' worth of experience.

Sigh.

[efda2rn]

Turns out the Overseas Nursing Programme is still offered as a way to qualify for licensure. Hope is renewed!

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Turns out the Overseas Nursing Programme is still offered as a way to qualify for licensure. Hope is renewed!

The overseas program is not still offered that link is the current requirements on the NMC website and they are the governing body of the U.K.

[efda2rn]

King's College London - Nursing Studies BSc (international)

First of all, thank you for taking the time to try and direct me to the correct information.

I think that my confusion stems from the fact that Overseas Nursing Programmes are still being offered at various educational institutions. I see that King's College put in the disclaimer that states that NMC Registration isn't provided, but I interpreted that as saying I would be responsible for doing some additional legwork once I had completed the 12-month program. I have emailed the American undergrad contact for King's College to hopefully find some clarity. If the Overseas Nursing Programmes are no longer a valid tool to help under-experienced nurses gain the training they need to qualify for registration, then I just don't understand why they would still be offered.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

This is the latest I have found by the NHS and was only written a few days ago.

[h=1]Recruitment of overseas nurses and midwives[/h]SAVE ITEM

19 / 4 / 2016 4pm

Nurses and midwives who have trained outside the EEA (European Economic Area) and want to work in the UK as a nurse or midwife must gain professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Applicants are tested for competence through a two-part process to gain registration.

• Part one - computer based multiple-choice examination which is accessible around the world for applicants to access in their home countries.
  
• Part two - practical observed structured clinical examination (OSCE) which will always be held in the UK.
  

Overseas nurses and midwives - NHS Employers