Step by step process on how to become a UK registered nurse (UKRN)

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Are you are registered nurse in Nigeria and you have the intention of leaving the country to become a UK registered nurse (UKRN). In this article, you will find out the step by step process on how to become a UK registered nurse.

It is well known that registered nurses in Nigeria are undervalued and as a result, registered nurses in Nigeria are looking for countries that will value them.

There are a lot of countries you can go to as a registered nurse and be valued, some of those countries include:

America
Canada
UK
The Republic of Ireland
Australia
United Arab Emirate (UAE)
France, etc.

It is not a must you migrate to the western part of the world before you can enjoy the value of your profession.

There are a few countries in Africa that valued registered nurses more than Nigeria and they are:

South Africa
Ghana

Migrating to UK or other countries in Europe is easier than when you want to migrate to countries like USA, Canada.

Also check out: The different career opportunities in Nursing profession

In this article, you will know the step by step process on how to become a UKRN.

Let’s get started…

How to become a UK registered nurse

The step by step process of becoming a UKRN need to be followed carefully, so that you won’t miss a step and become disorientated.

Step by step process of becoming a UKRN:

Before you can become a UKRN, you need to obtain your international passport. Obtaining your international passport is the first step taken because without the international passport, you can’t progress to the next step.

Write and pass the academic IELTS or OET before starting the process as it is presumed to be the most challenging of all (But you can still do it together with your verification or write while your verification is ongoing).

The academic IELTS fee is about 85k and you must have a minimum overall band score of 7.0 before you can be a UKRN.

Check the table below to know the minimum band score required for each of the parts of the IELTS.

IELTS Parts	Minimum Band Score
Listening	7.0
Writing	6.5
Reading	7.0
Speaking	7.0

However, the fee for the Occupation English Test (OET) is about 586 Australian Dollar.

Check the table below to know the lowest grade you must have in the OET exam.

OET Parts	Minimum Grade Score
Listening	B
Writing	C+
Reading	B
Speaking	B

You can combine the English results, see how here: https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/joining-the-register/english-language-requirements/accepted-tests/

Once you have pass your IELTs or OET exam, you need to open an account to register with NMC UK (the first stage of verification) . Register as a registered Nurse Adult/Mental Health/Midwife (as the case may be).

To start registration on NMC UK portal, note that your last Name is your surname (e.g Fadeyi) and your first name must be your 2 other names (e.g Bako, Tolani). Start the registration process here: https://online.nmc-uk.org/overseas/assessment/start?route=1

You will be required to upload your certificate and/or notification and also your international passport. For any disparity in your names due to marriage or any other thing, have a Certificate or affidavit to back your name change.

The account is where you will monitor your NMC process from start to end of your UK nursing career. You can log in to your NMC UK account here: https://online.nmc-uk.org/Account/Login

Once you are done with the registration, you will need to pay £140 (you can pay directly yourself with a domiciliary card or any card other than regular Nigeria Debit cards).

After the NMC UK £140 payment you can begin NMCN Verification through this link: https://portal.nmcn.gov.ng/verification_requests/start

Then you will pay N68,875.00 with your Nigeria ATM card and follow further instructions.

A link will be sent to your mail after making the payment so that you can begin your NMCN verification process. You will be asked details of your professional qualifications and will also upload the front and back of your current practising license (please make it 1 single pdf page)

Before starting your NMCN verification ensure your NMCN profile is updated or register on this link below to se it up before proceeding to verification to avoid unusual delay in your verification; https://licence.nmcn.gov.ng/Account

Wait to be verified and get an authorization to test email from Pearson (the organization that handles the CBT exam) to book CBT. Book the CBT with £83 and ensure you choose Full Exam (Part A: Numeracy and Part B: Clinical) and write the exam.

You can buy a voucher for this on https://www.mindhub.co.uk/

You will get a voucher code within 3 hours which you can input when you get to the payment stage of your CBT booking on Pearsonvue site. You can schedule your exam wherever and wherever you want within the validity of your voucher (one year).

Once you have pass your CBT exam, complete your NMC UK registration which includes an upload of name of medical regulator, police clearance, and IELTS (academic)/OET result (without this, you can’t progress beyond this stage).

Pay the final registration fee of £153 to NMC UK.

You can start looking for a job at any stage but preferably, start searching for jobs after you must have passed CBT and IELTS/OET. You can either get an agent or apply directly on https://www.jobs.nhs.uk or http://trac.jobs/ or https://www.nhsjobs.com/ and other verified UK job portals.

You can also search for trusts online and send direct emails to them to show your interest or fill their international recruitment form or application.

After getting an offer you are comfortable with (the “comfortable with” is very important), sign the offer letter and send your documents to the trust. Note that when you apply directly, you might have to fund your visa and ticket yourself while you get a refund on getting to the UK (this isn’t always the case though), agents on the other hand pay for these upfront. Just ensure you read your offer letter well to know what the trust is offering. The choice is all yours to make at the end of the day. You might have to try both actually because getting offers isn’t as easy as before.

Wait for a Certificate of Sponsorship by the trust. It shows you have a sponsor that will support your stay in the UK. This COS also contains an employment start date. Ensure you don’t have more than one trust processing this for you as it is quite expensive which makes it unfair for the trusts and it can cause problems for you with the home office.

Discuss with the trust and book your visa and subsequently, your ticket. You need a valid tuberculosis test (about #59,000 with 6 months validity) and police clearance (ranging from #2,000 to #10,000 depending on location, cheapest price can be gotten at Alagbon police station in Lagos, it has 3 months validity) at this point.

The final stage is writing your OSCE (This can only be done in the UK). You will get your pin (license) to practice on passing this. Most trusts train nurses for this exam, ensure you check your offer letter well and clarify this.

Note that you will get to the UK as a pre-registered nurse and will be placed on salary band 3-4 (depending on trust). On passing your OSCE, you’ll automatically become a band 5 nurse.

Now that you have known the step by step process of becoming a UK registered nurse, feel free to ask any question using the comment box below and don’t forget to also check out: