Returning to nursing
Ready to reignite a fulfilling career in nursing? Your experience and skills are invaluable to us, and we’re here to help you return to nursing with confidence.
Benefits of returning
Few other roles will give you the same kind of fulfilment as nursing – think how many lives you’ve already changed? But it’s not just emotionally rewarding, there are plenty of practical benefits too, including some you may not have experienced before:
- One of the most generous pension schemes in the UK.
- Flexible working and opportunities to work part-time, helping to create a balance that suits you. Childcare support may also be available but it varies between NHS trusts.
- At least 27 days holiday a year plus public holidays, and a standard working week of 37.5 hours.
- Additional support for professional development, helping you to feel confidence in your skills and achieve your career goals.
- A greater emphasis on working in multidisciplinary teams, allowing you to work with experts from many different departments.
Sarah Roberts
Return to practice nurse
Getting back to nursing is the thing that I am most proud of. I did it for me and it’s reminded me that this is the best job in the world!
How to get started
Our team of over 330,000 registered nurses make an incredible difference, every single day, and we can’t wait for you to re-join them.
Still have an active registration?
If you have an active nursing registration but are not currently working in clinical practice, there is help available. You can access an online training programme on the eLearning for Health platform [4] to help you gain confidence before returning to the workplace. And if you want to find a practice placement, try contacting the deputy director of nursing or midwifery, or one of the matrons in your preferred NHS organisation.
Don't have an active registration?
It’s not a problem if you’re no longer a registered nurse – returning to practice is really straightforward, and here’s how you can do it:
- If you’ve got recent experience > Readmission
- If you’ve been away for a while > Updating your skills through a Test of Competence or a return to practice course.
Readmission
You might be able to re-register with the NMC [5] without doing a course or a test. You'll need:
- 450 registered practice hours over the last three years or 750 hours over the last five, including any practice hours gained on the COVID-19 temporary register
- 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) in the last three years
- to provide three character references
You can apply directly through the NMC website [6] or if you want to use hours worked through the COVID-19 temporary register, you'll need to email the NMC [7] to request a paper copy of the readmission pack.
You can find lots more information on requirements and the process on the NMC website [8].
Test of competence
If you’ve been out of nursing for a while, the Test of Competence is a great way to update your knowledge.
The test is made up of two parts:
- A multiple-choice computer based test (CBT).
- A practical test known as the Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) [9]
How to apply for the test
You can apply through the NMC website [10], where you’ll also find lots of preparation materials and essential reading to help you revise for the test.
Financial support for the test
We’ll cover the cost of you taking a Test of Competence, but you may have to pay upfront and claim it back once you’re registered and working with us. You may also be able to reclaim your travel and accommodation costs for your travel to the test centre.
If you’d like to know more, you can drop us an email [11] and we’ll put you in touch with a member of our team who can answer any questions you may have.
Return to practice course
A return to practice course will refresh your skills, leaving you ready to return to nursing with confidence. It involves a combination of classroom and placement-based learning, so you can get stuck in right from the start. You’ll also be assigned a personal mentor to support you through your studies.
The course takes between 3 and 12 months to complete, depending on how long you’ve been out of practice.
- Find out more about return to practice courses [12]
- Find out more about the return to practice courses for general practice nursing [13]
Financial support for your studies
You won’t just be emotionally supported by our team, you’ll be financially supported too. If you apply directly to a university, NHS England will pay for your course and placement fees. You’ll also be given £1,000 to help cover any childcare, travel and book costs.
If you apply through an NHS organisation, your course and placement fees will be covered and you’ll either receive a salary or £1,000 to help cover your costs.
Finding a course
Our course finder [14] is an easy way to look for return to nursing programmes. You can also use it to search for return to practice courses in general practice nursing.
There are also opportunities for you to earn while you study. To search for a salaried return to practice course, visit NHS Jobs [15] and search ‘return to practice’.
Universities in Wales also run return to practice nursing programmes. You can find more information on the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership website [16].
We’re here to help
Returning to nursing won’t just make a difference to other people’s lives, it’ll make a big difference to yours too – and we’re here to make it as easy as possible. No matter which route you choose, we can guide you through the process. If you’d like to discuss your options, simply request a call-back [17] and a member of our team will give you a call.
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