12 Apr What You Need to Become an Agency Nurse in the UK
A lot of nurses have thought about moving into nurse agency work— it’s flexible, offers competitive compensation, and offers a hand to hold throughout your agency work journey. Most agencies must perform what is called a compliance check– that’s checking your criminal record, nursing certification, and proof of address. If you’re confused about what agencies need from you during the onboarding process, read on to discover what agencies need from you and when.
A degree
Most agencies require that you submit proof of your nursing certification before onboarding. You could have completed a registered nurse degree apprenticeship (RNDA), BSc RN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing), or nursing associate’s degree. A standard nursing degree often lasts 3 to 4 years, during which you’ll have studied theoretical and practical knowledge. The degree must be valid in the UK.
After you finish your course, your university will upload your course and personal details to the NMC’s database. They’ll also send a declaration of good health and character. To register, you’ll need to apply no more than 6 months after you complete your course and pay the registration fee of £120. You should also declare any police convictions or cautions.
Overseas Registration
If you’re from outside the UK, you’ll have to provide proof that you speak English via an IELTS or OET. You’ll also need proof of identity through your professional educational qualification and its expiry date (nursing certificate and council’s foreign verification), post qualification registration (a good standing certificate), employer reference, good character from a senior colleague, police clearance certificate (PCC), and good health certificate from your doctor, Test of Competencies (ToC) like The Computer Based Test (NMC CBT) and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).
When you’re ready to submit your application, you’ll have to pay the £140 qualification evaluation fee. Also, you must be a registered nurse in your country of origin. This is because the NMC needs a third-party reference. They’ll assess your application within 30 days. You may also have to provide:
- Health evidence of any health conditions or disabilities.
- A self-declaration to evaluate good character.
- Police clearance from your home country dating up to 10 years ago.
After this, you should be registered with the NMC and cleared to work.
Statement of entry
After your degree, you’ll require a statement of entry from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Your entry statement confirms your details, registration status at the time of issue, recorded qualifications and initial registration date. You can find your statement of entry in your NMC Online account.
Example statement on entry
Here, you’ll find your NMC pin: vital for nurse agency work. You’ll have to pay 100 quid every year to renew your NMC registration.
Proof of indemnity
Indemnity is like nursing insurance. If anything happens to you on the job, you’ll have cover against charges like clinical negligence. If you do agency work, you may have to procure your own indemnity scheme, as the RCN doesn’t cover you if you have an employment contract with an agency. Should you practice without cover, you’ll be breaking the law and removed from the NMC register, meaning you can no longer practice nursing.
Practical and online training
Practical training should be classroom-based and include physical assessments, whereas online training will cover theory. Your training is only valid for 12 months, meaning you should renew it annually.
Breakaway training
This usually only applies to RMNs (mental health nurses). Registered general nurses don’t need this. You’ll need:
PMVA
PMVA stands for Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression. It’s designed to train you in the current legislation and National Guidelines while enhancing skills in dealing with violence and aggression in a mental health setting environment. This is because nurses in a mental health environment are at risk of experiencing violent and aggressive behaviour from patients with mental health disorders, learning disabilities, autism and dementia.
It builds on the current principles and recommendations of the Force Act 2018, British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD), RRN Training Standards, National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (Clinical Guideline 25), Department of Health (Guidance for Restrictive Physical Interventions 2002), the Mental Health Act 2007 Code of Practice, the Human Rights Act 1998, the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The course usually lasts around 3 days.
It should be accredited by the GSA (General Services Association), a membership organisation for people who are trained as tutors in the prevention and management of violence and aggression. Additionally, the course must be fully aligned with RRN (Restraint Reduction Network) training standards.
What the course covers
The course covers a wide range of topics related to providing safe and ethical care for individuals with mental health conditions. It explores legislation (like the Mental Health Act) and ethical principles (like the duty of candour) that guide healthcare professionals.
The course also delves into violence and aggression, including risk factors, warning signs, and de-escalation techniques. It emphasises a person-centred approach that considers cultural sensitivity and trauma-informed care. Also, the course details physical interventions like restraint and seclusion, ensuring they are used proportionally and as a last resort. Finally, the course covers legal aspects, including the Mental Capacity Act and the importance of proper documentation.
MAPA
MAPA stands for Management of Actual or Potential Aggression. It teaches the skills required to support workers, like RMNs, who can assess, manage, and respond to risky behaviour. The course focuses on verbal de-escalation, prevention, and early intervention. Safe physical intervention options are also taught, to be used only as a last resort. It’s about responding to people in a non-judgmental way, treating them with respect and dignity whilst supporting them to stay safe. It’s usually a half-day session.
MAYBO
Maybo is an organisation that offers training on risk mitigation. They offer advice on all aspects of training and strategy from policy to risk assessments and control measures and work to help you make informed decisions so that you can achieve your objective of reducing the risks of conflict and violence in organisations. They offer an e-learning course.
Clinical references
You must provide at least two clinical references from senior workers or directors in your speciality. They’ll advise on the strength of your clinical skills and character. The letter usually includes what your role is and how you are related to the writer, and perhaps an example of a favourable interaction. Mostly, these testimonies also contain particular skills and qualifications that are required for the new position you’re applying for.
For example:
“Sept. 26, 2019
Dear Mrs. Carrillo,
I am pleased to write this reference letter for Jackie Krankenschwester, who has been a registered nurse with us for the last five years. As the managing nurse, I can’t think of anyone else who was as willing to learn as quickly as she was. Her calming demeanour and excellent nursing skills made her highly respected by patients and colleagues all around the hospital. I believe she’d make an extraordinary supervisor in Hospital Health Care.
With a BSN from Northridge University, Jackie was able to come in on the first day and get right to work. We trained with her for about an hour before an emergency came in. Jackie was right there, ready to help and learn at the same time. Recently, Jackie was taking care of paperwork outside of a patient’s room when she heard the heart monitor going off rapidly. She immediately called the doctor, then assessed the situation and acted fast. The patient’s heartbeats were speeding up at a rapid rate, and Jackie knew just what to do to keep the patient calm while they waited for the doctor. The patient was so grateful to have Jackie there and in record time. It is without a doubt that I recommend Jackie for a supervisor role with Hospital Health Care.
If you need further information or have any questions, please call me at 555-230-8888.
Best regards,
Maya Cadence
Nurse Manager
Hospital Largo“
Enhanced DBS police check
There are 3 types of police checks: basic, standard, and enhanced, done by DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service). Their job is to make recruitment safer for healthcare recruiters, so they don’t hire irresponsible or unsuitable people, as nurses work with particularly vulnerable people. They include information held by local police and centralised computer records. Facts disclosed could include convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings recorded on police central records. The check can also include spent and unspent convictions, plus information held locally by police forces that might be considered relevant to the post.
What the checks contain
- Basic checks show unspent convictions and conditional cautions (where you admit to an offence and agree to follow certain conditions so you don’t get prosecuted).
- Standard checks offer information like pent and unspent convictions and adult cautions, from the Police National Computer which have not been filtered in line with legislation.
- Enhanced checks show the same as a standard check, plus any information held by local police that’s considered relevant to the role.
Since you’re working with sick adults and children, you need the strongest sort of police clearance: an enhanced check. This check will delve deep into your relationship with the law, hunting for any unspent (a conviction that hasn’t reached the stage where it can drop off your record) or spent convictions, cautions, reprimands, warnings, disqualifying offences, lack of appropriate licensing, or received sanctions (or other disciplinary action).
How to get an enhanced DBS check
When completing a DBS check, you’ll need:
- A valid passport or driving licence with your date of birth
- National insurance number
- Two of the following documents: A utility bill, bank statement, mortgage or credit card statement with full home address
- You can opt to add online ID verification to your DBS check if you have a British/Irish passport, so that original documents do not need to be provided to your ID verifier
We’ll give you a DBS check form, which looks like this:
Two updated proof of addresses
Your proof of address must be certified. It could be a utility bill, bank statement, or credit card statement.
Headshot
To create your candidate profile, we’ll need a headshot showing your head and shoulders, like this:
Proof of immunisation
Since you’re working with sick people, you’ll need proof of immunisation against:
- Rubella
- Measles
- COVID
- Hepatitis C
- TB
You’ll need a hospital document as a form of proof.
Takeaway
In conclusion, you’ll need the following when applying for agency work: proof of certification or your degree, a statement of entry and NMC pin, proof of indemnity, practical and online training valid in the UK, breakaway training (if you’re a mental health nurse), an enhanced DBS check, 2 updated proof of addresses, a headshot, and proof of immunisation.
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