It has been a difficult week, it has been a busy week and it has also been a very sad week. I don’t need to talk to you about the numbers, you know more about them than I do. You see the person, the suffering, and the pain when outcomes are not good. From the Board and the team at NMBI, thank you. Thank you to the nurses and midwives who are on our register and working in the health service now, thank you to those who have restored to the register and thank you if you have returned to Ireland from abroad to lend your support.

We have 77,881 nurses and midwives on our register. Between March 19 and 27 we have had 193 first time registrations, mainly UK and Irish nurses, with a small number from overseas. 432 nurses and midwives have also returned to the register over the eight day period (569 restorations since 01 March). We are processing up to 80 restoration applications a day and will make every effort to keep this up. We ask you to bear with us during this emergency period. If some things do not run as smoothly as they should, please be assured that we are committed and at all times working hard to support you and those who want to join you on the front line.

We are currently balancing the urgent requirement for more frontline healthcare workers with the ongoing need to protect the public by upholding the Irish nursing and midwifery standards. We will maintain our standards which are in line with those across Europe. In this context, we continue to work with nurses and midwives who need to complete compensation measures or provide letters of good standing to enable their registration.

In the news pieces that follow we provide information that you may find useful. We also this week launched a new COVID-19 section on our website where we will continue to post relevant information. We have started an FAQ section which we will build out next week to better support queries.

My hope for you during this period is that you can stay safe, hold steady and do what is required. We at NMBI intend to try and mirror this as we support you. Please keep talking to us in the days and weeks to come. Your feedback is enormously helpful.

Stay safe,
Sheila