Nurses - how long out of practice before I can't go back?

[TheWitchsCat]

Without completing a return to nursing course?

I graduated September 2013 and didn't start working as I had a very young child and the only job offer I got was too long a commute and unworkable due to shifts. I'm in a different position now and am thinking about trying to find nursing work. I haven't done my preceptorship. What would I have to do or is it even possible?

If you registered then you can practice. The only worry I'd have is that you will be due for reregistration and validation in September 2016 and you'd need to have done 450 hours in practice. So you'd have to be doing at least 15 hours per week (bearing in mind you'd have holiday time in the mix) and no time off sick.

I've just done a RtP course and some people had been out 15-30 years.

If you didn't register, you'd be out of time now because of the 6 month limit.

I was registered but I let it lapse. Does that mean I'm out?

Contact the NMC and they will tell you. I'm looking into it because I let my registration lapse this year.

Ok, I will do, thanks

In order to update your NMC registration you will be required to make an application for readmission. As part of this application you will be required to declare that you have complied with the Prep standards of either 450 hours of registered practice over the previous three years and 35 hours of learning activity over the previous three years OR 750 hours of registered practice in the previous 5 years and 35 hours of learning activity in the previous 3 years.

*The NMC defines ‘practising’ as you working in some capacity by virtue of your registration as a nurse, midwife or specialist community public health nurse. Practice can include administrative, supervisory, teaching, research and managerial roles as well as providing direct patient care.

The 35 hours of learning activity can encompass a wide variety of things such as courses, seminars, onlinecourses and other self-learning. You can count hours you have completed with or without effective registration. It must be relevant to your current practice or the practice you intend to undertake in the future.

You will be required to complete/provide the following:

Notification of Practice (NoP) form, declaring you have complied with the Prep standardsOne reference of good health and good characterTwo other references of good characterApplication formRegistration fee of £120

Please note there are specific forms and instruction notes enclosed in the readmission pack for the above mentioned references.

If you cannot comply with the above Prep requirements, you will be required to undertake an NMC approved return to practice programme.

A list of approved courses is available on our website atwww.nmc.org.uk/education/approved-programmes/You will need to contact the Universities directly to find out more specific information in relation to available courses.

This is the reply I got. I now have to ring and clarify a few of the requirements for my particular situation. HTH

Thank you, hunibuni, that's really helpful. Good luck with your return

If you let it lapse, you're out and the only way back in is a RtP course. For me, at University of Southampton, that meant 20 weeks, of one half study day per week, at Uni, a 2500 word evidence based reflective case study, and 150 hours of supervised practice in an unpaid placement.

Health Education Wessex has now recognised that there is a shortage of nurses, so they paid for the course (£1000) and gave me a £500 bursary to contribute towards fuel, etc.

The RtP courses vary in structure and in some areas you'll have to pay.

Just a warning: the registration process is drawn out. First, the university has to notify the NMC that you've passed. Then the NMC generates a pack, which takes around 10 days. You have to then get references and get a reference from uni. Then the NMC take around 15 working days to scan your documents, then they sit in a queue for someone to verify the evidence and approve your entry on the register.

I finished my course in July, had the results by end of July, and it was mid September before I was registered.

I'm now an ICU nurse and loving it, so it is worth it.

Ugh, trying to find all my Uni paperwork is a nightmare! I put it away in a safe place but can't find it and the email address that I had for registering with NIPEC was also a Uni one (we all had to use our Uni email initially with the aim to change after the lecturers had scanned all of the documents in), so have to contact them as well... I need to make sure all my dates are correct because it has an impact on whether I'll meet the criteria for RTP for my Uni. At least it's not too far so I can pop in and get them to check. I'm also going to have to find the details fo revery course etc that I have done in preparation for revalidation when I get reregistered

Your revalidation date will be 3 years from returning to the register, so don't worry too much about that just yet.

Lougle, Hi I have my RTP interview tomorrow with Southampton and was wondering what they may ask me in the interview, also will there be a maths test of any kind, could you advise please. TIA JANIS

Hi there, how did your RTN interview go? I have mine soon as I was wondering what sort of questions they asked you?

Hi there, I qualified as a nurse in 2004, I did not practice as a nurse as I became pregnant straight after my diploma. I then went on to have 3 children. Now I wish to try to get back into nursing. Does anyone know if this is possible??

Ljm3 - Sorry this is an old post I know. I just wondered if you found out any more? I'm in the same situation, I qualified in 2007 but never practiced. Now interested in getting back into it but wondering if I would need to redo the whole course or if I could to a return to practice.