I don’t normally write for our newsletter but given the focus on registration of late, I thought you might be interested to hear how things are going from a registration perspective since the outbreak of COVID-19.

Since March 1 we have added 1,336 nurses and midwives to our register, 901 of those are people who are coming back to the register and 435 are new registrations. Of the new registrations 81 are Irish, these are generally older graduates coming back to Ireland from abroad. 42 are from Europe with 34 of those coming from the UK. Of the 312 overseas candidates that we have added, the largest cohort are from India (215) and the Philippines (71). The register now stands at 78,328. 

As requests for restoration to the register are now tapering off we will move some of the team members who were processing restorations to applications from EU and overseas nurses/midwives. The team will continue to adapt to support key requirements in our effort to register all eligible nurses and midwives.  

While we continue to receive overseas post and couriered applications, the level is much lower. We will continue to complete files for those who pass aptitude tests and adaptation periods and process letters of good standing. Decision letters will also continue to go out although in some cases we are aware that the recipients may be unable get to Ireland due to the pandemic.

At present, we are processing the applications from those who arrived here before the stricter restrictions were put in place. Following their 14-day isolation on arrival, 64 people sat an aptitude test last weekend. We processed the 57 that passed this week and expect them to be on the register ready for work next week.

We made a further announcement this week on the outcome of a review that we conducted in 2019 to amend language requirements. We had noted from research that reducing the writing score by 0.5 (IELTS) would not affect practice and will also enable up to 100 nurses and midwives to join the register who have been striving to achieve the standard in writing for some time. Further information on this announcement is provided below.

Our offices are operating as normal but are closed to the public to protect our team, across all functions, who continue to work long hours. Medically vulnerable staff are supporting the same standards, but from home. We will do everything we can to support the nursing and midwifery community in the weeks to come.  

While I realise that many of you will be working hard over this bank holiday weekend I wanted to take this opportunity to extend best wishes from all the team here at NMBI.

We hope you stay safe and get some time to recharge.

Colm

Since we last spoke to you in our March newsletter we have published guidance for students in years one through three. The guidance is a result of a number of weeks work with the 13 Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), the Department of Health and the HSE.

Our guidance should give these students the support they need to continue their programmes while simultaneously providing a valuable contribution to the public health emergency, while being appropriately remunerated.

The specifics of a proposal to support fourth year students are currently under consideration by the same group.  Our collective aim is to agree a mechanism that will not compromise competency. We hope to provide agreed guidance to final year students shortly.

Further information on students in years one through three can be found on the NMBI website.

We announced this week that we would apply amendments to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Occupational English Test (OET) requirements for nurses and midwives who did not complete their qualifications through English. These amendments, which are the result of a review that began in 2019, better relate to requirements for day to day practice while ensuring that the appropriate standard of English language is still achieved. They bring Ireland in line with other international health regulators who have also recently reviewed language standards.

‘We have reviewed a number of approaches and protocols at NMBI over the last 12 months and I am delighted that the language review which has now been approved by the Board could benefit many nurses and midwives of quality who want to register to support the fight against COVID-19,’ said Sheila McClelland, CEO NMBI. ‘We have decreased the writing score by 0.5 and believe that the application of this will not compromise practice. There is evidence in the UK and further afield that our amendments will provide a positive result.’

Details of the amended IELTS and OET requirements along with the mechanism for their review in 12 months, can be found on the NMBI website.

To support a better understanding of the new International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Occupational English Test (OET) requirements, we copy below some answers to commonly asked questions.

1.      Who does the language test apply to?

Proof of language competency applies to all applicants for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland who have qualifications from outside of Ireland. All applicants have to confirm that they have the necessary knowledge of English to communicate effectively in their practice.

Those who trained through the medium of English in Ireland, UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are exempt from providing evidence of language competence.

Please note that there is no change to the types of applicant who are subject to language test requirements. The language test requirement applies to all applicants either via the EU/EEA route or overseas route.

2.      If I do not qualify for an exemption do I need to do a language test and

achieve required scores to register?

Yes

3.      Can I combine the results of a number of tests to achieve the required

result?

Your language test scores must be achieved in a single sitting. This means that an applicant cannot combine the results of two or more tests to meet the results above.

4.      Do I have to achieve the required individual score for each

subset/component?

There is some flexibility in the scores listed above. An applicant may achieve 6.5 or grade C+ in any one of the four subtests/components other than in the writing subtest/component where 6.5 or C+ is the lowest score acceptable. See examples below.

The following three alternatives are acceptable to the 6.5 or C+ in writing:

Alternative 1 – 6.5 or C+ in Listening

Alternative 2 – 6.5 or C+ in Reading

Alternative 3 – 6.5 or C+ in Speaking

5.      When do these new protocols come into practice?

Applicants who meet the amended requirements do not need to wait to apply for registration.

Those who have already applied can be considered under the old or the new protocols. Recognising that there are applicants who have recently passed, achieving the old requirements, NMBI will accept these results

for registration up until April 30, 2020.

6.      Can I benefit from these new protocols if I did my test a year ago?

Both language test scores (IELTS and OET) are valid for two years. We can apply these new protocols to an IELTS or OET test result. Those who previously applied for registration who were deemed ineligible on the basis of not meeting the language requirements can be considered under the revised requirements.

7.      Who verifies my test result?

The NMBI verifies all language test score results directly with the test provider.

8.      Can I choose which protocols I want to be evaluated against (old or new)?

Those who applied for registration prior to April 30, 2020 will have met the language requirement if they have either the old or the new amended test scores.

All applications received after May 01, 2020 will be considered solely under the new requirements specified above.

9.      When was this review of language requirements for the Irish

register conducted, did you do it in response to COIVD-19?

It is good practice to regularly review all our protocols. Our language requirements

were last reviewed in 2018 and it was agreed at this point that we would review them again in 12 months. The amendments that we are putting in place in April 2020 are the result of research conducted during 2019. We are in the fortunate position of being able to apply them now when they could benefit more nurses and midwives entering the system.

10.    How was the review conducted?

During 2019, NMBI undertook a review of international research and also considered recent amendments made by other similar professional regulators in Ireland and overseas, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the UK.

11.    Will you monitor these amendments and could they change again?

We have agreed with all stakeholders that there will be a review of these new amendments in 12 months. If we agree collectively that the amendments are positive we will maintain them, if however there is evidence that the amendments have compromised practice we will initiate a comprehensive review that may result in further changes.