Major Question!

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 5, 2006

I have been reading through a lot of postings, and I am confused about RNs from the US working in the UK. I read that only RNs with a 4 year degree could even register in the UK (and only if they have a minimum of 1 year experience first). Does this mean that if you are an RN, but went to a 2 year school, you can't register at all?- or hope to work in the UK as a nurse unless you start and finish a complete nursing program (three years) there?

Nurse training in the UK is just over 3 years so someone coming to work in the UK has to have had a similar training. I know we used to do a 2 year training course many years ago (Enrolled nurse) and for a while EN could work in the US but then the rule changed and you could only work if hours met the US hours. The only way is to apply to the NMC and send your transcripts and see if your hours match hours required

ruthn · Feb 5, 2006

Not all training in the UK is three years, I am currently doing my training, and it's a two year post-graduate course. There's only a couple of these courses in the UK, and they are not well known. We will all graduate and register with the NMC in the same way as any other Diploma/Degree students.

I don't know about the situation for overseas nurses though, but I think that the important aspect is the content, rather than the length of the course. And there you guys have an advantage over us, since we focus on branches (such as adult, mental health, children & learning disability) during the course, and can then only register to work with those client groups.

ClaireMacl · Feb 7, 2006

Accreditation of prior learning only applies to the UK, therefore isn't relevant to this thread. I qualified after a sociology degree and qualified in two years Yes, we are out there... but it makes no difference to overseas students as they most likely would not be able to APEL out of the subjects we did.

Not all training in the UK is three years, I am currently doing my training, and it's a two year post-graduate course. There's only a couple of these courses in the UK, and they are not well known. We will all graduate and register with the NMC in the same way as any other Diploma/Degree students.
I don't know about the situation for overseas nurses though, but I think that the important aspect is the content, rather than the length of the course. And there you guys have an advantage over us, since we focus on branches (such as adult, mental health, children & learning disability) during the course, and can then only register to work with those client groups.