Episode 6 - The One With Nurse Alice - Licence To Practise Podcast - Nigeria to UK - NMC CBT
** Sit back and listen, it's time for Licence to Practise by IELTS Medical.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-GAfIGNrGE
In Episode 6 - The One With Nurse Alice - Christina catches up with Alice, a Registered Stroke Nurse who started re-building her nursing career here in the UK and is now about to be promoted to Band 6.
Featured Course: NMC CBT Flex : http://www.ieltsmedical.co.uk/cbt-flex
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Episode 6 - The One With Nurse Alice
Christina: Hello and welcome to another episode of License To Practice from IELTS Medical. Today we're going to be speaking to Alice a nurse who's been working over here in the UK for a few years now as always she gives loads of great advice to people and thinking about coming over to work in the UK and she also brings to light a few points and if maybe a few concerns that some of you have that haven't been mentioned before in this podcast. So yeah it was a very interesting chat. Just before we give a recall I'd just like to give a shout out to the lovely 5-star review that we've received thank you so much for that I'm really really glad that you enjoy and listening to these podcasts I hope that it's helping you get the information that you need and and yeah I hope that you're over here sharing your story with us one day too. Okay let's give Alice a call.
Christina: Hello!
Alice: Hello Christina, how are you?
Christina: I'm fine thank you, how are you doing today?
Alice: I'm fine, just having a lovely day, it's just early.
Christina: Yeah it's quite an early podcast this I think, isn't it?
Alice: Yeah.
Christina: 8 AM, so a nice way to start the day. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I'm really excited to hear everything you've got say today and so would you be able to just start by telling us a little bit about yourself?
Alice: My name is Alice. I'm a staff nurse. I had to restart my whole nursing journey in 2018. I reached out to IELTS Medical and they said they were willing to help me. I did a few training for the IELTS exam and fortunately I was able to pass it after a few training sessions on my first try with them and afterwards I did the CBT as well. IELTS Medical helped me with the CBT as well with a few lessons online and then afterwards they also helped me get a job where I work now and it was basically really good. They did some OSCE training with me and I completed my OSCE training at the hospital where I went to and again I was able to pass that after the hospital training and I started work. I've had a very wonderful journey. I got a job with the stroke department and I built up that experience with them. They were very supportive, they have really really good and experienced mentors who helped out. And afterwards I went to work in the outpatient so I've been quite privileged to have both inpatient and outpatient experience within Trusts. So I went to work in the hematology unit. It actually has a NOS led hematology clinic and yeah it's really good. So I've had the opportunity when my team leader is not available, sometimes if she's available she delegates the lead of the clinic to me. It was a very very good experience. You know how to run the clinic and going forward I started as a ban for pre-qualified and then as ban five once I got my PIN. I am looking forward to being a ban six in the next couple of months.
Christina: Oh good, good!
Alice: Yeah so it's been a good journey and it's been well worth every step of the way. You know, put the patient to the heart of care, it's lovely.
Christina: Well I'm happy to hear that I'm happy to hear that you saying that the journey has been worth it because I think you've had probably a little bit of a different journey and to some of the people because you actually had to restart the exams and the registration process didn't you? And would you be able to tell us a little bit about what the registration process was like for you?
Alice: I think because of the support I had it wasn't stressful. I had to put a lot of hard work in it because I had to do a lot of studying but I had good support and I've been lucky to have good support all the way. So the English exam I passed it straight ahead, with the CBT exam as well I passed it straight ahead. And then with the OSCE though I had the training booked with IELTS Medical and then back at the NHS Trust. And the OSCE exam is an exam that you really need to study for you need to be very precise. It's an exam that is time-bound as well. You need to be willing to sacrifice what you know to be determined to study hard, work hard practice. I found out that practicing every single day was actually the key to passing the exam. Even if he was for ten minutes in a day, that consistency in practicing for the exam actually brought good results.
Christina: Oh yeah that's really good advice, that's for the OSCE yeah?
Alice: Yeah that was for the OSCE, because I did the Basic Life Support as my exam at one of the exam stations. And you have to be quite precise with the beats and the beats 10 minutes and you have to be quite precise with your hand positioning quite a lot. So practice with the mannequin and with the resuscitation team within the hospital was really helpful.
Christina: Right, I think that's really good advice so just a little bit everyday as well and I'll have. And so you obviously you've been here for a few years now and why did you choose the UK?
Alice: Wow, that's a good question! I love the culture of the people and the values and what they stand for and the fact that they're ready to accept talent and they are willing to support you. And the process as well to come into the UK wasn't very complex it was quite straightforward and if you're someone who believes in hard work and in getting things true merits you are going to get the support. Also the support as well that you get financially I can't take that out of it as well. You know the burden of having to initially you would have to pay for the hospitals were willing to give you that sort of financial support as well, knowing that you're leaving your country and moving to a completely different country to start life probably all of our gains on the stars. And they were able to give you that support in terms of accommodation, they didn't neglect the fact that you would need that extra support so the kindness, the care and as well the standard of no sin here is quite high and it's quite good it helps your career progression as well. I find the UK a very very lovely place to be in.
Christina: Well I'm glad, I'm happy to hear that and that's great, that's a really good thing to share actually I don't think anybody's ever said that before about the money situation because I imagine that would be a worry for a lot of people and because like you said you are literally you know packing up and moving to a different country to start a new life and so yeah that is that's a thank you for kind of bringing that to light on the podcast and I know you've given a lot of advice already and actually but do you have any final words any final advice for anyone and you know there might be thinking about coming over?
Alice: Yes I want to encourage anybody that's coming over to just make it starts and once you start the process be determined to complete it you might have some challenges you know book EFS not live and the few challenges while trying to complete the process to come over to the UK but you need to keep your head up and keep your motivation going and then come I would say it will be well worth it quite a lot of us that came in as started as ban fives and within two years or less than that they've moved up to a band sticks which makes you a sister on the ward because you've been able to acquire the skills but you can't actually move up to that position if you're not determined if you don't work hard and if you're not consistent and very very professional. So when you're coming in you just come in with the mindset that you're coming here to actually practice nursing care for the patients and actually puts in your very best to make sure that the patient experience here is really good. And everything is working out well for you. The sky is your limit basically, you will be happy. Before I came here I wasn't married, I actually got married and had one child.
Christina: Congratulations!
Alice: Thank you and I'm expecting a second one.
Christina: Oh really?
Alice: Yeah!
Christina: Well congratulations again!
Alice: Thank you, my due date yesterday, so..
Christina: Oh right! So you are literally expecting now?
Alice: Yeah.
Christina: Oh my goodness well good luck yeah I hope you don't have to wait much longer.
Alice: No, maybe in 12 days. It's possible for you to combine working and family life here and you would get that support from work as well. So if you have a family, your family can come over and if you really do want to come here settle down here that's really good. I've got into the five years so what I needed to do was my Life in the UK Test to be able to get my independent leave to remain. All the resources you need to care for are available so I've recently just passed My Life in the UK Test and I'm looking forward to getting my permanent residency. So it's hard work but I'll encourage you to take that step go for it and the sky is your limit.
Christina: Wow that is amazing you've got a lot going on at the moment! Well, you know what? Thank you so much for sharing all that, it's been really really great to listen to. Good luck with everything! Good luck with everything you've got going on at the moment and thank you, thank you so much. Thank you for coming on.
Alice: Oh thank you for having me, it's nice, I hope I'm able to inspire someone out there.
Christina: I'm sure you will.
Alice: Take the step, it's well worth it.
Christina: Oh well thank you so much and yeah good luck and have a lovely day. Bye!
Alice: You too. Bye!
Christina: Thank you so much for listening to another episode of our podcast. I really hope that you found that chat with Alice helpful and inspirational. I think there was loads of great advice given in the episode so thank you so much again to Alice for coming on and sharing your story and all your wise words. And I hope to see you next time! And as always to your success.
