It is no news that, in the United Kingdom (UK), nursing jobs are big deals. As a result of the global health crisis the world experienced, there has been a higher demand for healthcare workers around the world, especially nurses. This demand is more critical in the United Kingdom (UK).
Regardless of the fact that they have one of the best and most advanced healthcare systems in the world, the UK has a thin nursing workforce, which is why it is not so difficult for Nigerian nurses to attain high paying jobs abroad.
And so if your goal is to work as a nurse in the UK but you do not know how to go about it, then you have come to the right place!
The goal of this article is to share the process in which you can get a high paying nursing job in the United Kingdom from Nigeria. Just keep reading!
Guide On How To Apply And Get A Nursing Job In The UK From Nigeria
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to get your dream nursing job in the UK;
1. Get Your International Passport
The first step is to apply for an Nigeria international passport if you do not have and this can be done at the Nigerian Immigration Service.
This process is part of the requirements you will need to register for IELTS. What you need as a certified nurse who wants to travel to start a nursing job in the UK, is a standard passport or an ePassport.
However, depending on the protocols of the immigration office, your international passport will be available within a week or even months after registration.
2. Write Your IELTS/OET Exam
We bet the IELTS test is not a new thing to you, you must have at least heard of it.
If you really want to get a nursing job in the UK, you must write your IELTS exam and pass it. It is not negotiable. You will be required to submit proof of it during your NMC registration and visa application.
The meaning of IELTS is International English Language Testing System. This is an exam that shows proof of your English language proficiency and this exam comes in four parts which are; reading, writing, listening, and speaking the English language.
You have the option of writing either the paper-based exam or the computer-based exam at an accredited test center. You will have to pay a sum of money (N75,000 – N80,000) to register for the exam.
Now according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the minimum passmark for the IELTS exam that makes you qualified to apply for a nursing job in the UK is an overall score of 7 or at least 6.5 in writing and 7 in other parts.
The result of your IELTS test will be released 14 days after you sit for the examination. Be sure that you have been sufficiently prepared for the examination.
Do not make the assumption that it is basic English you already know. It takes a lot more to be outstanding in your IELTS exam.
There is an alternative to IELTS and it is the OET. The OET, which is the Occupational English Test, is also divided into reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
The registration fee for OET is approximately N150,000 and the minimum required grade for each part is ‘B’, but in the ‘writing’ section, you can scale through with a credit (C).
3. Get Verified By The Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC), UK
For you to fully qualify for the job of a nurse in the UK or even get a nursing job in the Uk from Nigeria, the United Kingdom’s Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) have to verify your nursing qualification certificate and license.
They do this because they have to maintain their goal of ensuring quality healthcare practices in the UK.
All that is required of you is to create an account on the NMC online portal, pay the verification fee of N17,500, and submit the documents required.
The required documents are; your nursing certificate, birth certificate, a letter that requests for verification and good standing, and your license.
Be sure that all the documents required are up to date, especially your license. This verification can also take some time, it could take weeks or months.
4. Write Your CBT Competence Test
As soon as you have been verified by the NMC, you will be asked to sit for a computer-based test. This test aims to make an assessment of your competence theoretical knowledge of standard nursing practices.
The CBT competence test comprises of 115 MCQ questions that cover all the major areas of nursing including; general (adult) nursing, children’s nursing, midwifery, mental health nursing and learning disabilities nursing.
The test will also cover professional values in nursing, communication, decision-making and leadership. You can read the test guidelines to better prepare yourself.
You will be able to register for the CBT exam through Pearson VUE for £85, after which, you can write the exam in your home country.
You will only be given a maximum of three attempts to write and pass the exam. So, you must be well-prepared to pass the test. Unlike the others, the result comes out within 48 hours and is valid for two years.
5. Write The OSCE Test
The CBT competence test comes in two parts and we have already discussed the first part above.
After you have written the first part, you will also have to write the second part. The second part is the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination).
The only way you can write this test is after successfully passing the first CBT exam. The registration fee for this test is £794. Unlike the first CBT exam which you can write in your home country, you can only write this one at a designated center in the UK.
There are various centers for the test and they are; the University of Northampton, Oxford Brookes University, Northumbria University, and Ulster University.
Now most nurses usually save this test for last because of the distance, but seeing that you live in Nigeria, you can get a six-month visa to write the Objective Structured Clinical Examination in the UK.
There is a better option of first securing a nursing job in the UK, and then get your employer to sponsor you to sit for the test.
This sponsorship will only be for the exam training and registration fee and does not cover your traveling cost to the UK for the exam.
However, some employers can be kind enough to provide a temporary place you can live in for 3-6 months.
You will be qualified as a band 5 nurse when you pass the exam. Your employer will provide you with a certificate of sponsorship which you can use to complete your NMC, UK registration. Moreover, if you fail the exam, you can pay a resit fee of £397 and resit the exam.
Remember that you can only retake the exam three times, and you have a 10 days interval between each resit. If you also fail on the third attempt, you will have to start a new application.
6. Register With The Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC), UK
After you have passed the CBT competence test, you must pay the NMC registration fee of £153 and then upload the required documents to your NMC portal.
The required documents include; your nursing certificate, IELTS/OET results, police clearance certificate, and name and details of your medical regulator (you can use the name of any medical doctor of your choice).
The NMC will send a letter to the details given by the medical doctor for your health declaration, so you should inform your doctor beforehand. The NMC, UK will also ask for your letter of good standing from their branch in Nigeria.
After which they will update the response on your application portal once they get a response from NMC, Nigeria. So, you should constantly check your portal to track your progress.
7. Find A Nursing Job
After completing the above steps, you can start searching for a nursing job. You can find a nursing job in the UK from Nigeria by exploring job sites like:
nurses.co.uk
jobs.nhs.uk
healthjobsuk.com
apps.trac.jobs
While searching, you should look out for band 5 nursing jobs. Read the criteria for eligibility and make sure you are the right fit for the job.
8. Update Your CV
Do not forget to update your CV and make sure that it is in line with the type of nursing job you are applying for. A LinkedIn profile that is written and structured well will be a boost for you here.
A good amount of recruiters take out their time to check the Linkedln profile of their prospective hires before making a hiring decision. A great LinkedIn profile will also make it possible to have a great CV.
If you have a successful application, you will be scheduled for a virtual job interview that will take place via Zoom, Google Teams, or Skype.
When you pass the interview, you can await your offer letter and this can take a few days to show up. The offer letter will contain your salary and entry band, which will be clearly stated.
In some cases, employers will put your years of experience in Nigeria into consideration before deciding how much to pay you.
Offer letters often come with a relocation package where your employer may decide to cover any or all of the following; flight fees, visa fees, medical screening fees, IELTS/OET, CBT exam fees, COS fees, accommodation, and OSCE fees.
Some employers will let you pay for them and then reimburse you when you arrive in the UK. Other employers could decide to pay for only your Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) while you cover the rest of the bill on your own.
All these depend on the organization, so you should make sure you do your research and confirm before accepting the job offer.
9. Receive Certificate Of Sponsorship (COS)
After you accept the job offer, your employer will give you a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS).
The Certificate of Sponsorship is a document that will serve as your proof of funds to apply for a visa.
In order to get a COS from your employer, you have to submit your police clearance certificate and medical screening result (particularly TB test) to your employer.
If you are married or you have a child, be sure that your employer includes them in the COS. The COS plainly states your resumption date, which could be between 1 to 6 weeks.
10. Apply For Visa
Use a reputable visa agency, we recommend that you apply for a ‘health and care worker’ visa. We recommend this because this visa will allow you to stay in the UK for six years, after that time, you can apply for permanent residency.
Furthermore, there are other criterias you have to meet before you can get the Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
Your visa will be approved within three weeks of application. Now, you can rest easy, go shopping and get ready to japa!
Now that you know how to get a nursing job in the UK from Nigeria, it may seem like a tedious process, but keep in mind that nothing good comes easy! It is really not as hard as it seems.
If you follow the steps that have been outlined meticulously, there is a chance that you will have your dream job in no time.