S3 Ep 4 - The One With Nurse Yaw - Licence To Practise - from Ghana to UK - OSCE For Nurses
** Sit back and listen, it's time for Licence to Practise by IELTS Medical.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkf60kfhpHw
In Season 3 Episode 4 - The One With Nurse Yaw - Christina has a chat with Yaw, a UK Registered General Nurse who moved to the UK from Ghana.
Featured Course: OSCE for Nurses : https://www.oscenurses.com
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Christina:
Sit back and listen. It's time for license to practice by IELTS Medical.
Christina:
Hello, and welcome back to licensed to practice from IELTS Medical. Today, we're going to be talking to Yaw, a nurse from Ghana who moved over to the UK last year in 2021. Don't forget to like and subscribe so that you never miss an episode and let's give Yaw a call.
Yaw:
Hello? Good morning.
Christina:
Hi, good morning. How are you?
Yaw:
I'm fine. And you?
Christina:
Yeah, fine. Thank you. Well, thank you so much for coming on the podcast and sharing your story with us. If you could just start by just introducing yourself and telling us a little bit about you.
Yaw:
Well, my name is Yaw. I'm a nurse from Ghana. I'm 33 years old, married with three kids. My last job I did before coming to the UK was I was working with a world health organization in a COVID center, which was opened by the United Nations in Ghana. Yeah, so that's a little bit about me.
Christina:
So you-
Yaw:
And I prefer to be called Yaw. That is Y-A-W.
Christina:
Okay. Perfect. Thanks for letting me know. So you've only just moved to the UK. Well, I say only just COVID feels like it's gone on forever, doesn't it? But obviously you've moved since COVID.
Yaw:
Yes. I've moved to the UK. I'm now a registered nurse. I'm working in Wales, a university town called Aberystwyth.
Christina:
Oh yeah.
Yaw:
Yeah. It's a nice place to be. I think Wales is one of the beautiful places in the world with the mountains and all the other things you can imagine. I moved here last year. I arrived in the UK around, I think it was on the 25th July. So basically I've worked here almost nearly a year now.
Christina:
Yeah. So you've done it all quite quickly then. So you moved on the 25th of July. When did you actually start the process of becoming registered? Of getting your registration?
Yaw:
Well, I started the process way back... I think it was 2020, December 2020. I wanted to move out of Ghana and then, I mean, explore the other parts of the world. So basically I was focusing on going to the United States.
Christina:
Okay.
Yaw:
But you know, it was, it takes a little bit time as compared to moving to the UK. So early 2021, I shifted the post, decided to come to the UK. And fortunately for me, you do part of the exams for UK in Ghana.
Christina:
Okay.
Yaw:
And then when you are successful and you come here, you do the practical, which is the OSCE-
Speaker 1:
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Yaw:
Here, and then you'll be issued with your pin as a registered nurse here. So I started in January 2021.
Christina:
Yeah.
Yaw:
Yeah.
Christina:
And when did you get your registration? When did you get your pin?
Yaw:
Well, there was a little bit hitch, you know. When I came, I felt the IELTS I wrote was the correct one, but it wasn't. So I had to rewrite the IELTS again. So I registered with the IELTS center in Nottingham, University of Nottingham, which I wrote, unfortunately for me, I had 8.5 overall. And I was brought on board. So my pin was issued to me just, I think, on February this year.
Christina:
Oh, wow. Well, congratulations. So yeah. So it took about a year then for the whole thing. Yeah.
Yaw:
Yeah. So yeah, it's fairly simple and straightforward with regards to moving from Ghana to the UK.
Christina:
So what is the actual process of moving to Ghana. Sorry, from Ghana to the UK. So I know you said that you started it, you started the process in Ghana. What, what part was that?
Yaw:
The process I went through was basically, you have to do your clearance with NMC Ghana, then after that, you have to register with the UK NMC, which was also done in Ghana. Afterwards, the UK NMC will clear you that you qualify to write the computer based test. And then you they'll give you a date that you can write a computer based test, which was done in Ghana. So after that, when you come up successful, you would need to write an English proficiency test, which is the IELTS or the OET, but the OET is not done in Ghana. It's only the IELTS that it's mostly done in Ghana.
Yaw:
So after a successful completion of the IELTS and you get all the required score banks for the UK, you can apply directly to the NHS or probably you get recruited by an agency. And then they will take you through the processes of going to the immigration doing your TB test. And then they'll book for appointments with the immigration center for you to acquire your visa. So that's basically the whole process is that. And it takes about, I think it was about three months to get everything done.
Christina:
Okay. And so you, obviously, the reason you did the IELTS is because that's the exam they've got in Ghana. Because I know there's always different reasons why some people choose the ILEATS over the OET.
Yaw:
For me, the reason why I chose... I could have written the OET when I came here, and my scores wasn't right. But I chose the IELTS because it has a wide range of services. You can use it to further your education, that if you wish to you move on and it looks kind of, the OET is restricted to your work. But the IELTS, the academic one, is just a broad thing that you can use it basically in the US, in Canada or Australia or anywhere you wish to move to and you can also use to apply for school too. So that's why I did the IELTS instead of the OET.
Christina:
That's interesting. All good reasons. So obviously you said that you initially wanted to go to United States and now you've come to the UK. Do you like it in the UK? Are you happy with the move?
Yaw:
Yeah. I'm very happy with moving to the UK because where I found myself, I was so lucky to meet people who are welcoming and then easy and outgoing and they make you feel like a part of their community. You know, so I'm really happy down here.
Christina:
Good, good. I'm glad. And have you noticed many differences in working your actual profession in the UK compared to Ghana?
Yaw:
Yeah. I was fortunate to have worked with the WHO, the UN site hospital that was opened in Ghana for some few months. Because in Ghana where I was working, there were not a lot of equipment. I mean, medical equipment there. So most of the things were like improvisation, you have to improvise, you know what I mean? But when I came here, you get to see a lot of equipments and then you learn every day how to use them. So it makes the health service delivery very easy. You don't have to improvise there. There are a lot of things here, like the monitors and then other things, big things.
Christina:
And how did you find learning how to use all this equipment and stuff if you've not used it before, is that something that you learn on the job or did maybe the OSCE help with that? Or how was that process?
Yaw:
Well, I will say there's this part that I hate to say, but I have to let you know. You know, sometimes it's looks like... We came to meet a lot of different people working already here. And let me tell you, some of them are really, really friendly and good. Others who just want you to fail. I have to be frank with you. We have to learn things the hard way. Like you see an equipment and then you just go home, you go on the YouTube and then you search how to use it. And then when you come to work, you ask someone who is proficient in using those kind of equipment. You combine it with what you've learned on YouTube, and then you go and with practice, you'll be good. Some of them genuinely wanted us to fail, so they would just be adamant in teaching you how to use the equipment. So we have to learn some of the things the hard way I must say.
Christina:
Yeah. Yeah. Quite well. So just going back to your training to get through the exams, you said, so obviously you did the CBT in Ghana. You did the IELTS over here and the OSCE over here. Is that right?
Yaw:
Yes. That's right.
Christina:
And what sort of things did you do to help with those exams? Have you got any advice for people that are just starting, who might want help with studying or preparing for them?
Yaw:
Just for the IELTS, I had a fair idea about it from Ghana before moving here. And I have to tell you, I learned on my own, like I just learned on my own. I went on YouTube, watch couple videos. I was a little bit weak with reading because I was not a fast reader. You know, it's time bound. You need to read three passages in, I think, within a period of one hour and answer 40 questions. So I devoted a lot of the time for reading and then which I sell after that. And so in this, in this practice, in this constant practice, but with the OSCE I have to tell you, it was an experience of my life. A very good experience of my life. Because I registered with IELTS Medical, which I had a training in London and they gave me the best training I could ever imagine it. Thankfully when I left and then once to take my OSCE in the Northern island, it'll surprise you to know I had the same task as the mock that I did with IELTS Medical.
Christina:
Oh really? That's lucky.
Yaw:
So it was just fantastic and I came out with flying colors.
Christina:
Oh, amazing. Well, I'm glad. I'm glad you did. That's really good. So are you all settled here? Is your family settled here? Because obviously, I know I keep coming back to this, but if they thought they were moving to America and now they come to England,are they settled here? Is everybody...
Yaw:
Yes. Yes. The interesting part is that my wife is also a nurse.
Christina:
Oh okay.
Yaw:
Used to bring her here. And she's also left with the OSCE, which of course she also had her training with IELTS Medical last week.
Christina:
Okay.
Yaw:
And then we planning to secure sponsorship for her to write her OSCE. After which she can, she can also practice as a nurse. But she's also very happy with me here. And we planning to go back home and bring the kids here as well to know there lot of opportunities here for the kids, with regards to education and other things. So it's in the pipeline. We go probably by, I guess my case should be settled here.
Christina:
Oh, amazing. Well, I'm really happy for you and good luck to your wife as well. I hope it all goes well for her exam. Just before I let you go, do you have any final words of advice for anybody just starting out on the journey of becoming registered here in the UK?
Yaw:
Well, to be frank with you, I really love it out here. There are a lot of experience and expertise and people who are, let me say overqualified to work here in the UK. In Ghana and then in other parts of Africa, who would want to come and then help with the nursing department in the UK. I have to say nursing is a universal kind of thing. So for me it doesn't matter whether I help people here or I help people back home. It's a calling and I have to, wherever I find myself, I have to work and I believe most people have the same idea. But the thing is that most of them are already here and they are overqualified and they are not getting the required band for the OSCE.
Yaw:
Excuse me, the IELTS and then the OET. So I plead with those who matter, like those who can really relate with authorities to sometimes also look at their background, the training. You know, most of the African countries, especially where I come from in Ghana, I think our formal language is English. Right from the scratch. That is, you'll be taught in school with English, everything, right from kindergarten to the university, you are taught in English. You get what I mean. But when you come and you know, some write two or three times, they don't get it and they become frustrated and things gets bad for them. So I will just plead with you if you know those who matter, those who can really talk to the authorities. Sometimes they have to look at the person's background.
Yaw:
I would surprise you to know that there are people here who have Masters in Public Health and they, they were doing physician assistant programs in Ghana and they are here and because they've not been able to get the English requirements here, they're still struggling out there. So the last thing I say is if you people know people who matters, at least you can start advocating that those with a background of started training from infancy in English and then have their Masters and other things, and overqualified to do nursing here. They should just give the NMC, should just give them a second thought and then think about how things can be organized for such people.
Christina:
Yeah. Yeah. That's really interesting actually. It's not something we've really spoken about on here before. But yeah, it's a really good point because it's tough isn't it to...
Yaw:
Yeah, yeah. It's really... I wrote on two different occasions. When I came here, I wrote on two... I nearly gave up, but you know, it comes with perseverance and then persistence, you know?
Christina:
Yeah. Yeah. Well thank goodness you didn't, because it's all paid off and it's going to, and for your wife as well. Good luck to her. Thank you so much for coming on. Best of luck with everything, bringing your kids over here and I hope it all works out.
Yaw:
Yeah. Thank you so much and enjoy the rest of your day.
Christina:
Thank you. You too.
Christina:
Thank you so much for listening to licensed, to practice from IELTS Medical again. And I really hope that you enjoyed my chat with Yaw. Don't forget to like and subscribe so that you never miss an episode and I will see you next time. And as always to your success.
