Are you angry about the NMC OSCE???

[WrigleyRN]

I wonder if there is anyone out there who, like me, who has been slogging through the NMC application process and has taken or will take the OSCE? Are any of you ANGRY about the OSCE? I am.

Those of us applying to be registered in the UK have been put through the ringer, been vetted in every way imaginable (references, one year of practical experience required, education hours, training hours, IELTS, etc), and the fact that they add a practical test on top of that is just redundant, unnecessary, and a huge waste of time and resources for everyone. Especially amid the UK nursing shortage, when they should be facilitating the immigration of well-qualified nurses, not hindering us!

I recently took the OSCE and failed the skills section for absolutely bogus and arbitrary reasons. But before finding out that I had a "partial fail", I initially came out of that test feeling confident, like I had done well, and there is no way they would judge me to be an incompetent nurse. But despite my feeling that I performed well, I also emerged from the test simultaneously angry and frustrated, for having just committed 5 weeks of my life to stressing, floundering through disorganized, overabundant study materials on the Nile website, and traveling across the world... all for a test that clearly has nothing to do with assessing a nurse's competence. All the OSCE succeeds in testing is our willingness to jump through meaningless hoops and pay excessive fees!

The fact that we are subjected to this psychological roller coaster is infuriating... especially from an organization whose bedrock is the holistic caretaking of all people!

And why the exorbitant fees? Why do we have to repay the fee if we sit again for the test? Exactly whose pockets are we lining? The whole thing just rubs me the wrong way.

I'm just appalled at what I and others have been through with the OSCE. I plan to appeal my test result and also lodge a complaint both with the University of Northampton and the NMC, who are the controllers of the OSCE. If anyone is interested, I will share what I write, and I encourage ANYONE who is frustrated to write to the NMC and make yourself heard!!!

[kiwi_nurse]

I think the basic conclusion is that the entire process from having to sit an IELTS exam as a native English speaker to having to sit an OSCE that only gives you 15 minutes to demonstrate your competence is a load of absolute rubbish. I, like many others have failed my re-sit and have had my appeal denied. However, nothing is going to be done about the entire process unless we ALL complain to the high up authorities of the NMC. Whether you have passed, are still in this long and drawn out process, or are in a situation similar to me, I encourage you all to make your voice heard! If not for us, do it for future nurses coming to the UK to try and make their lives a little easier. The past 16 months have been nothing but stress, hard work and heartache for me and I wish that on no one. I will do everything I can to try and ease up this process for the next person and I hope you all will join me XX

[Andrei15]

I think the basic conclusion is that the entire process from having to sit an IELTS exam as a native English speaker to having to sit an OSCE that only gives you 15 minutes to demonstrate your competence is a load of absolute rubbish. I, like many others have failed my re-sit and have had my appeal denied. However, nothing is going to be done about the entire process unless we ALL complain to the high up authorities of the NMC. Whether you have passed, are still in this long and drawn out process, or are in a situation similar to me, I encourage you all to make your voice heard! If not for us, do it for future nurses coming to the UK to try and make their lives a little easier. The past 16 months have been nothing but stress, hard work and heartache for me and I wish that on no one. I will do everything I can to try and ease up this process for the next person and I hope you all will join me XX

i wish to join you in this. Can i send you a message here??

[Bojana10]

what can we do for our voices to be heard by NMC? Many Nurses are failing and going back home to their countries, they sacrificed their time away with their families hoping to work in the UK, then because of this 1 1/2 hour of exam their competencies are questioned, most of the fail reason are beyond ridiculous.

[Bojana10]

[email protected] please have a time to make a formal complaint to NMC. Its not fair for us nurses that are trained outside EU to suffer like this. Especially we have been nurses for years and we got criticized for 1 1/2 hour and failed us.

[Jhurlow]

As hard as it is to pass the OSCE, one would think that only the most awesome nurses would be produced. But the fact is that the NMC spends most of its money disciplining the nurses they approve. I think that passing this test is most likely just the next step in years of frustration related to fuzzy over regulation. UK nurses are poorly paid and over worked. This is not an 'opportunity' I will continue to pursue. The days of Florence Nightingale are gone

[Jhurlow]

Filing a complaint is like trying to have a discussion with a voice recording.

The NMC has no significant oversight here in the UK. They are their own reality. But don't let me discourage you. Maybe you will be the lucky one

[Jhurlow]

I have made my voice heard to my local MP, to the Ministry of Health (Jeremy Hunt) and to the Professional Practice Authority. No one responds with anything helpful. They all say there is nothing they can do because the NMC has full authority. And the NMC staff just parrot the rules established by The Order. 18 months of payment after payment only resulting in recurrent frustration. Trying to be a nurse in the UK is a game not worth playing. NMC processes are almost like thievery

[Jhurlow]

NMC OSCE testing was disjointed and not consistent with national guidelines. I'm not sure that safety is their testing goal. The NMC spends the bulk of their time and government monies disciplining the nurses they deem qualified to practice. What does that say about the quality of their mandates? I'm growing suspicious that this agency is all about the money.

[Jhurlow]

I agree 100% with your comments about the demands and ridiculous redundancy. Did you ever get any where with you complaints?

Ive found that talking to the NNC is like talking to a recorded message.

[Jhurlow]

I have now filed two complaints with the NMC about this OSCE exam. Their responses sound scripted and cryptic. They will not respond directly to my concerns. Their guidance documents were not consistent with either the testing scenario or national guidelines. I also do not believe they are using the OSCE process correctly. This test setting requires understanding of a completely new nursing theory (Roper, Logan, Tierney. I spent 4 yrs learning Orem Self Care) and a nursing process that is different from what is used in the US. Though NANDA is now internation, the UK does not use nursing diagnoses (ADPIE). I still don't fully understand the flow of their nursing process but this was required for the OSCE. This test seemed to me to be very bias toward UK trained nurses as responses were expected that were never intitially clarified. In Fact, even after paying 992 GBP for this test, they refuse to provide full test feed back, 'to protect the integrity of the test'. There are no advanced knowledge or critical thinking skills tested. It is all cryptically explained process. For an advanced practice nurse this process held no challenge except that of enduring a situation that involved a complete lack of logic or clarity. US trained nurses/nurse practitioners please take heed. Save your money, time, and frustration. UK nurses are over regulated and poorly paid. If you want to see this country then use vacation time!!

Looking at Canadian OSCE guidance; they are more expensive because their guidance is more refined and sticks to the definition of an OSCE

[Nursegal0501]

PLEASE READ PERTAINING TO OSCE

I wanted to post this with the hopes of helping people in the future so this doesn't happen to someone else; like it did to me.

I have been a registered nurse in America for less than five years. I wanted to become a nurse in the UK because my boyfriend is British and we made the decision for me to move since nurses can go anywhere. The process to become a UK nurse is a very long and tedious one. There are several stages which I am sure you will read about if you apply decide to apply to the NMC or have applied to the NMC. It took almost a full year to get to the point in which I was able to take the OSCE. I applied to the trust I currently work for on my own, meaning I was not recruited. When I arrived in England towards the end of 2016 on a tier 2 visa with a certificate of sponsorship through my hospital, I thought I would take the OSCE prior to starting work because I was not told otherwise, and I had studied the information provided on the NILE site. I took the OSCE, and failed on the first try. I cannot go into details about the test, however it is very different from American nursing in regards to equiptment used and their practices so make SURE you read the process and procedure of the Royal Marsden for the skills listed on the NILE SITE. I started working at my hospital, and was in despair about this exam, how was I ever going to pass???? I then was connected with the clinical educators at my hospital and they put me in a 3 month training program with three other international nurses and we went over everything we would need for the exam and I found it beneficial. The clinical educator said that I shouldn't have even attempted to take the exam without having three months of work experience in a UK hospital setting. Repeat... DO NOT take the OSCE without having three months of work experience in a UK hospital setting... or you will be setting yourself up for failure. The information on the Nile site is not enough!!!!!!

When I took my resit exam a few months later, I felt very confident. I had been working with the different skills that Northhampton would be testing me on, I had gone over several scenerios with my trainer and she felt I was the best prepared candidate of us four. However, when I got my results, the email started with "we regret to inform you...." and immediately my heart sank. I opened the email through my watery eyes to find that the ONLY reason that I failed was because my care plans weren't specific enough. I'm sorry, but the care plans state two relevant care plans.. it did not say priority, it said relevant. To say I was upset was a massive understatement. I decided I would appeal.. I submitted a good reason for appealing my test, however the manager stated that you can only appeal the process and not the results. This is the most ridiculous thing. I understand that this test needs to be standardized... but come on. There has to be some leinency. After I got this email, I also got an email saying my entire application to the NMC was now expired and I needed to resubmit all my documents again.... WHAT!!!!!!!! Now, just to clarify for other people, your CBT is good for two years and so is the ILETS so luckily I didn't have to do that part again. However, I do have to wait six months now to attempt the OSCE again, and I will, because I am not giving up. There are no exceptions to this whatsoever, so it's useless to even try.

I also wanted to make clear, and this I was also not told about, is if you are on a Tier 2 visa, there is a 12 month cooling off period between the dates of when you can get a new visa. So not only do I have to reapply to the NMC, wait six months to take this test again, I am also now being deported back to America for a year and will be away from my boyfriend and our home. We have contacted our local MP who stated there is nothing that he can do about it. The NMC states they are sorry but there is nothing they can do about it.

I feel that this whole process is extremely unfair to international nurses. This country is keeping out good nurses that have the potential and opportunity to add to British hospitals in a positive way. Reducing waiting times, decreased ratios for nurse to patient, and an overall better experience in the hospital. Instead, we are being turned away over an impossible test. With the amount of first time failures this test has, it is more than evident that there is a serious problem.

I sincerely hope my experience prevents someone else from experiencing this same problem. Good luck to everyone that takes the OSCE.

Stay positive!

[Jhurlow]

Did you have any luck with your appeal. I've complained to the NMC, the UK Department of Health, and to the Professional Standards Authority (they apparently have some NMC oversight) yet receiving responses no more valuable than double talk. Have you seen a lawyer? I am happy to join you and perhaps others in such a venture. There is power in numbers. This abuse of power and the human suffering it is causing in this country needs to be discussed with someone who cares and can take action.