If you are no longer a registered nurse or midwife, our programme will support you and enable you to renew your registration with your professional body and re-enter practice with the competence and confidence. We know you already have the skills and experience that can make a big difference to patients, clients, carers and their families - we are keen to get you back.
If your registration has lapsed, you'll either complete an NMC-approved return to practice course, which takes between three and 12 months, or do a test of competence. There are return to practice courses across England. The amount of retraining you require depends on how long you have been out of practice. The longer you have been out of practice, the more practice hours you will need to complete.
If your registration has lapsed, you'll either complete an NMC-approved return to practice course which takes between three and 12 months or do a test of competence, which is made up of:
· a multiple-choice computer based test (CBT)
· a practical test known as the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
You can apply through The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) where you'll also find materials and reading to help you prepare. There is a cost for taking the test and the NHS will pay this but you may have to pay up front. You can then claim reimbursement once you have registered with the NMC and are in employment.
Active registration
If you have been out of clinical practice but your registration is still active, you can apply for a post and establish if you can be supported by a preceptorship programme. The programme will support you to update your skills and knowledge and make sure you are job ready.
Health Education England (HHE) South East will pay for the tuition/university fees associated with the programme and will also provide you with a bursary to cover any out-of-pocket expenses (should you not be supported by an employing organisation), such as book costs, travel, and childcare, depending on the route you choose to return. This is currently £1,000.
Funding for tuition fees is paid by HEE South East directly to your chosen university, and the bursary is either paid to the university or to the organisation supporting your placement, who then manages the transfer of the bursary to you. If you are employed in a healthcare role and being released to attend the return to practice course, you do not normally qualify for the bursary.
The programme usually takes between three and nine months to complete, depending on how long you have been away from practice and how quickly you complete your clinical proficiency and placement hours. The length of time required to complete the programme will be established during an interview and further discussion you have with your university and the placement provider. For many universities it is a set amount of hours and can also be dependable on how long it may take to complete the practice document.
The programme varies for each university, but as a standard, all programmes consist of theoretical study days at the university which can be face-to-face, online, or a mixture of the two (blended learning) and a placement in a clinical setting to carry out practice-based learning. There are separate return to practice programmes for each of the following fields of nursing and midwifery:
Find a suitable university for your studies.
Practice Nurse Julia Speight works at Woodlands Health Centre in Paddock Wood. Read Julia's return to practice story.
Kerrie and Heidi, practice nurses
Paula, community staff nurse
Andrea, community learning disabilities nurse
In 2012, I completed a return to midwifery practice programme with an NHS trust in south London after eight years away from nursing. Despite missing midwifery, I felt an initial sense of trepidation and anxiety about returning to practice. This soon disappeared when I stepped back in and my skills and knowledge quickly came flooding back.
On completion of the programme, I was delighted to be appointed a Band 5 midwife with Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (DGT).
When I started, I was given a warm welcome and soon felt part of a team. I was well supported throughout the preceptorship programme and beyond. I always felt a strong sense of belonging and part of happy and diverse, yet cohesive multi-disciplinary team, united in delivering quality, safe care to families.
I always felt able to share my ideas and have my voice heard. I have been nurtured and supported throughout my DGT career to grow in confidence and develop personally and professionally. I have been encouraged to progress and have been successful in several rewarding and fulfilling midwifery roles including specialist midwife and team leader.
I am now the head of patient and public engagement for the trust, in another role where I can continue to make a positive contribution to the DGT community.
Returning to practice can be daunting, but DGT provides such a supportive learning environment that these feelings don't last for long before you're back on the path to a rewarding career.
Return to practice guide for prospective returners
Standards for return to practice programmes
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Medway NHS Foundation Trust