Episode 1 - The One With Nurse Judith - Licence To Practise Podcast - Ghana to UK - NMC OSCE
** Sit back and listen, it's time for Licence to Practise by IELTS Medical.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP8t8Qs2dXk
In Episode 1 - The One With Nurse Judith - Christina gets to know Judith, a Registered Nurse who has been practicing in the UK since August 2019.
Featured Course: NMC OSCE 3-Day Review - http://www.oscenurses.com
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Christina: Hello and welcome to Licence to Practise from IELTS Medical. I'm Christina and today we're going to be speaking to Judith a UK registered nurse who's been here since August 2019. Let's give her a call...
*dial tone* *rings*
Christina: So hi Judith welcome to the podcast. How are you today?
Judith: Yes I'm fine thank you.
Christina: So just to start off would you be able to just tell us a little bit about yourself?
Judith: OK, my name is Judith. I'm a registered nurse with --hospital name blanked out-- and I work on the Spinal Cord Injuries Unit. I came here in August 5th August and fortunately I started working on the seventh of August and I studied for my OSCE and fortunately I passed and this enabled my family to join me here in UK on the 14th of January yes so I'm currently here with my husband and two children.
Christina: So you started work in August and then your family only joined you in January?
Judith: Yes.
Christina: Oh wow so how was that well?
Judith: Well, it all boils down to my determination and my perseverance in my fierceness towards my studying for the OSCE exam because that was my ticket to to change my family's life you know?
Christina: hmm
Judith: When I passed but this enabled my family to get the visa to join me here. So yeah that's it.
Christina: Oh wow...that's wonderful that's that's absolutely amazing. So why is it that you chose to come to the UK?
Judith: It's very simple just one... I chose the UK because the process was so easy it was easier as compared to other countries it was very easy you just needed the right documents and to pass three exams. You write two in your home country then you write the last one here in UK and that was it. Aside the other opportunities you're entitled to or should I say the other opportunities you can achieve here, the process was very easy.
Christina: Wow okay well that's good to know. Would you be able to tell us what the NMC registration process was like?
Judith: Okay so taking it from the top it all started in January 2019 when I took the IELTS exam and after three months. I took the CBT. Fortunately I passed so with the IELTS and the CBT result I was able to apply to the NMC in UK plus my current hospital. Fortunately I received a positive response from both sides so I was able to get a COS from my hospital with which I was able to put in an application for my visa in July. I got a response in three days time.
Christina: Wow.
Judith: And this enabled me - yeah - it takes quite a short time to get a response from the visa office yeah so I was able to travel to UK in August 2019... yeah... so then process the process is pretty straightforward if you have the necessary documents.
Christina: Yeah, that's really quick isn't it? January to August.
Judith: Yes
Christina: And you've got a job in that time as well?
Judith: Yes I did I did. I got a job here and I came to the country on fifth and I started
working on 7 August.
Christina: Wow so just a couple of days to get settled.
Judith: Yeah it's just a couple of days to get settled. I worked for three months then I
took my OSCE in November and I passed, fortunately, again. This enabled me to help my family to come to the country.
Christina: Yeah, wow.
Judith: In January 2020
Christina: Yeah yeah oh gosh wow, that's incredible so yeah that was a really short time.
Judith: Yeah.
Christina: So when when was it that you got your job when did you actually get accepted?
Judith: Yeah, yes I got accepted in May. I got my COS in May.
Christina: Oh yes yeah. Alright so that was in May and then you moved in August. Wow yes incredible. So obviously you've talked a little bit about the OSCE - how did you find that exam?
Judith: OSCE? Well, I've always practice my nursing with a conscientious attitude, so I didn't really have a problem having somebody watch me do the skills you know you
know I think because it's an exam, the anxiety and the - for lack of a better word, I was so scared.
Christina: Yes yeah yeah yeah yes I know well it's nerves isn’t it? Before you do any exam you nervous aren't you?
Judith: Yes the nerves got a little bit of me, but yeah I studied for it and I really gave
it everything, because I knew my future and the future of my family depended on it. Fortunately, I still do. So the OSCE I would say that if you study for it it and you know what you're about you would excel.
Christina: That's really good advice actually, that's really good advice because obviously if you're a practicing nurse anyway, of course you know what you're talking about because it's just your day-to-day job isn't it in general and I suppose because it's an in an exam setting it would worry people but what you've just said is really
really good advice to remember that you already know what you doing.
Judith: Exactly. The only difference is that you have somebody watching you and scoring every step so you're nervous and anxious but if you know what you're doing, it shouldn't be a problem.
Christina: Yeah and I think that's great advice. So obviously you've done that you've done the OSCE, you've got your NMC registration and you're over here working in the UK with your family. Congratulations. So can you tell us a little bit about your day-to-day life now what it's like?
Judith: I work night shift.
Christina: Okay.
Judith: So yeah, I work night shifts. So I come... my day starts at night to pick up my patient. I come back home during the day to pick up my family and see my children whilst my husband goes to work. So that's the routine I work nights; my husband works during the day. Then I take care of my children during the day. They haven't started school yet, they were supposed to start school in April but because of the pandemic they haven't started school yet.
Christina: Oh okay, so they'll probably start next year in September, won't they?
Judith: Yeah, probably so yeah that's it.
Christina: Okay well a bit of extra time to spend with them I suppose, before they go off to school.
Judith: Exactly. Everything works together for good. It's been a long time since I saw them, so we're still bonding.
Christina: Yeah of course...
Christina: Wow some really great advice from Judith there. Well thank you so much for listening to Licence to Practise from IELTS Medical. We really really hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful and as always to your success.
