UHNM welcome new cohort of overseas nurses

Patients at University Hospitals of North Midlands are set to benefit from the latest recruitment of overseas nurses taking the total amount of overseas recruits to over 300 since the international nurse recruitment programme was launched in 2021.

30 international nurses from India and Botswana joined the Trust on 23 October, which is the largest cohort to date and will support a wide range of wards and departments at both Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital in Stafford.

All 30 international nurses are qualified nurses in their own country but are required to complete the Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) in order to become an NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) recognised nurse in the UK.

They will have a four-week induction period with the corporate nursing team where they will be supported with opening a bank account, registering with a GP practice and also given pastoral support to ensure an easy transition to living in the UK and working at UHNM.

The project is due to conclude by December and by then it is expected that the Trust will have recruited 352 international nurses.

Stella Underwood, International Nurse Lead: “By the end of the year we will have employed 352 international nurses and this has played a huge role in reducing nursing vacancies across the Trust. Three of our international nurses are now in band 6 positions and we are keen to maximise the experience that our international nurses bring so we have now developed a task and finish group to look into how we develop our international nurses and this will be the next stage of our project once the recruitment phase is complete.

“I would like to thank all our wards and departments for being so supportive of our international nurses and for integrating them so well since joining UHNM.”

Tracy Bullock, UHNM Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted to welcome our latest cohort of overseas nurses to UHNM. It is fantastic we have been able to recruit over 300 nurses since the programme was first launched providing care for patients at Royal Stoke and County Hospital. 

“The nurses we have already employed have proven to be a huge asset to the organisation and have enriched our workforce and I know our latest cohort will continue to do this. I hope they all enjoy working at UHNM and I am looking forward to seeing them grow within their roles and careers at UHNM.”