Return to Professional Practice

Are you a qualified midwife or nurse (adult, child or mental health) who'd like to apply for re-entry to the professional register? Our 12-week course, validated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), can help you get your career back on track quickly and safely. Please note: this course is not available for overseas nurses who wish to register for the first time with the NMC.

Our blended learning course combines lectures, tutorials, skills teaching, online learning, self-directed study - and offers a mix of theory and practice. You'll attend for 60 hours of teaching, complete 40 hours of online learning, and do at least 200 hours of assessed practice. The practice hours can be undertaken full or part-time.

In order to undertake this course you will need a placement in a clinical area, which has a registered NMC sign off mentor. If you are currently working as a HCSW you can remain in your current clinical placement. Your employer will need to confirm in writing the availability of a placement and an NMC sign off mentor. There is a sliding scale of practice hours required depending on the number of years you have been out of practice. This will be discussed on an individual basis.

To view profiles of NHS Trusts in Cambridgeshire, please visit the NHS Placements page.

Potential midwifery Return to Practice students must be currently employed in a suitable training area, for example as a HCSW, and will need to have written support of their manager / supervisor of midwives to undertake the Return to Professional Practice course.

If you are a nurse currently not in employment it is advised, but not essential, that you obtain some experience as a health care support worker ahead of your application, particularly if you have been out of practice for a prolonged number of years. Anglia Ruskin University has agreement and support from a range of placement areas across Cambridgeshire and Essex who are enthusiastic about placing students who are not currently employed. These placements all provide mentors in clinical practice to support you through the course. All of these placement areas will be interviewing & recruiting return to practice students who wish to work with them as qualified Nurses / Midwives on successful completion of the course. Details of current opportunities will be provided at the taster sessions, which can be booked via the Anglia Ruskin University Website. At the taster session you will also have the opportunity to meet potential placement providers.

You can choose to study a 30-credit (level 6) or a zero-credit course. If you're taking the 30-credit option, you'll write a 3,000-word reflective essay as part of your assessment. Both options require you to be assessed on your clinical, professional and interpersonal skills.

While you're studying, you'll wear a student uniform. They will enable you to be recognised as a learner in the practice area, so colleagues can support your professional development.

All students who are successful in applying for this course will be fully funded, so there are no course fees. There is a £500 bursary, which will be paid to students on successful completion of the course.

Preparation for Success: Digital Package

You'll need to do a 4-week online 'Preparation for Success' package before you start this course, either in June or September 2015. You won’t be assessed on this, but it’s very helpful for students who are returning to education. It will help to refresh and develop your study skills, and it provides an introduction to our Virtual Leaning Environment, our library resources, and research skills.

Attendance at interview

Attendance on the interview days is compulsory. On the interview day all candidates will be assessed for maths and literacy competence.

Assessment

• Zero-credit option: You will be assessed on your practice competencies and your interpersonal & professional skills.
• 30-credit option: As above, plus a 3,000-word reflective essay.