Overseas Nurses Programme

The NMC’s new standard for applicants trained outside the EU was launched in September 2005. From 1 September 2006 the only route to registration with the NMC will be through the Overseas Nurses Programme (ONP).

All applicants who apply for registration as a nurse and who meet NMC minimum requirements will be required to undertake all or part of the ONP. The ONP sets out common entry standards, a compulsory 20-day period of protected learning for all nurses trained outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and, where appropriate, a period of supervised practice. Every applicant will have to pass the specified International English language test (IELTS) before they can apply to go onto the ONP.

Applicants whose education and practice skills need more training or education to bring them up to UK standards will, on top of the 20 days, have to do a specified period of supervised practice in a practice setting approved for the purpose. This will be for at least three months and, at most, nine months.

Vostek will be able to assist those who have received a decision to undergo either the 20 days of protected learning or the accompanying period of supervised practice, to determine a placement. At Vostek, we have partnerships with several Approved ONP providers and we can find you placements according to your convenience.

We will determine whether you are eligible to be considered for our Overseas Nurses Programme when you apply to us and we will contact you to inform what you need to do next and the full details of our programme.

In addition, you must successfully have achieved and provided evidence of an overall score of 6.5 in the International English Language Test (IELTS) academic version, with no less that 5.5 in listening and reading and no less than 6.0 in writing and speaking. If you have made an application to the NMC then you should be aware of this course.

Employers – if you wish to be accredited to run the clinical part of the ONP, we will be able to assist you with this process and thereafter even recruit the qualifying nurses for you.

Should you wish to discuss this further in more detail please contact us by phone fax or email and we will reply to you by return.

For detailed information about the ONP please click here.