US nurses student wanting to be a widwife in the UK

[Pcherry001]

In about 8 months I will be graduating with a BSN (a 4 year degree). My passion is women's health and I think in the US, especially in the area I live, childbirth has become anything but the natural process it should be. My ultimate goal is the become a certified nurse midwife. I travelled to England a couple of years back, and fell in love with it. My dream is to go back, and my understanding is that midwives are fairly commonplace in the UK. So here is what I know (or so I think): I have to have 12 months experience before applying for a work visa, I have to register with NMC, I need a hospital that will sponsor me, and I also think that if I become a midwife in the US in doesn't transfer to the UK. So I guess I'm just looking for anyone that can give me any information or advice. Is there a specific place I should work those 12 months? How is midwiving in the UK? Anything would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Baboosh123]

I am also interested in becoming a midwife in the UK, and I think all your info is correct except that I believe your credentials as a midwife in the USA would transfer to the UK.

[babyNP., APRN]

Do you have a viable way to get to the UK with a visa? It's very hard to come by these days...midwife might be a little easier because looks like you can get a tier 2 visa sponsorship from the hospital, although they are required by law to look at UK and EU applicants first...if you have a spouse in the UK, you can be granted an indefinite leave to remain in the UK which solves that problem.

Other than that, the other big hurdle is getting NMC registration which, as you can read from the threads down below this one, isn't that easy...

If you want to go to midwifery school in the UK, you have to be a resident of the UK for 3 years before they'll let you in...additionally, if you get your CNM here in the US, you have to work for at least a year as a midwife before coming to the UK.

Here's the registration link about getting your license as a RN/midwife in the UK: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Documents/Registration/Registration%20information%20trained%20outside%20Europe.pdf

If this is your dream--I would suggest getting your CNM here in the US, making sure that you have all the required hours needed in the program. It would be extraordinarily difficult if not impossible get a work visa to just be a L&D RN in the UK as mostly just the ICUs are in the shortage area, plus Cameron's government recently announced nursing cuts when the market is already very difficult for new grads to get a job

Hopefully by the time you are actually ready to go to the UK, the world economies will have recovered and this temporary nursing glut will disappear...the older nurses can't work forever and the numbers don't add up for new nurses entering the market to replace those numbers, not to mention all the baby boomers retiring in the next couple of decades...

Best of luck, let us know how your journey goes as it would be very helpful for those reading this forum :)

[Pcherry001]

Well all that sounds just a tad disappointing. I guess I mainly need to focus on finishing school now. I will be a midwife one day be it in the US or UK. I just might have to be more patient then I want to be :)