The most important step in getting back into clinical nursing is to re register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, (NMC). As I have not worked for six years my membership has lapsed and I cannot work as a qualified nurse until I register.
After several emails to old work contacts I finally tracked down the phone number needed for University of West of England, (UWE). The next Return to Nurse Practice course is in June of this year.
So until I’ve completed the course and worked the required hours needed to re register I have to work as a healthcare assistant. Can I do that? I’m not sure, will I be able to cope with working as an untrained nurse when I have over 20 years experience and at least 10 of them as a senior staff nurse.
The problem is now I have made the decision to return to nursing I just want to get on with it. I don’t want to wait and certainly don’t fancy working as an untrained nurse for too long.
My first graduation back in 1987
Carole Gardiner
back to life 
Mar 10, 2012 @ 21:22:00
We know you can do anything you set your mind to!! Good Luck with the next step xx
Mar 10, 2012 @ 21:30:44
Thank you very much xxx
Mar 11, 2012 @ 08:15:23
If you do have to start at the bottom then you can uses this as a “back to the floor” time! then you are not feeling like you are wasting your skills but building up how things are diffrent from when you started! Hope that helps, keep moving forward! x
Mar 11, 2012 @ 19:14:03
thank you for reading and thank you for your encouraging comment