Keralite healthcare workers increasingly using Supporting Information from Employers (SIFE) to join NMC register

LONDON Sept 25: Keralite healthcare workers in the UK are increasingly using Supporting Information from Employers (SIFE) to join the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council is the regulator for nursing and midwifery professions in the UK. The NMC maintains a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses and nursing associates eligible to practise within the UK.

The NMC has now spoken to internationally educated professionals about their experience of using Supporting Information from Employers (SIFE) to join the register.

NMC hope these stories will help to shine a light on the SIFE process and provide some insight and reassurance for those seeking to join the NMC register using this evidence type. Employers may also find it helpful to learn more about the SIFE process from an applicant’s perspective.

“SIFE is a life-changer”, Eldho Abraham tells NMC

Eldho completed his nursing education in India, where he practiced for several years. In the south part of Kerala, where he’s from, becoming a nurse is very common. There are four nurses in his own family – himself, his wife, his sister, and his brother-in-law.

Eldho moved to the UK in 2016, with the ambition of becoming a registered nurse in this country. While living in India, he had gained a nursing degree that was taught and examined in English.

“When I studied for my pre-registration nursing qualification, everything – all the communication, instructions, exam – was in English.”

However, he struggled to meet the language test score requirements to gain NMC registration: “In the beginning, it was difficult for me to understand the accent [in the UK] – people speak very fast. I didn’t lose my hope to become a nurse. Emotionally, it affected me. But I kept trying.”

Eldho began working in the NHS as a support worker in theatre, while going through the process for NMC registration. He moved to his current employer to work in a Band 2 role, and continued to improve his English skills.

“Eventually I came to understand and communicate fluently with all of my colleagues, and my managers supported me.”

Eldho heard about a new process, SIFE, that could help international nurses demonstrate their English language skills if they were having difficulty passing a language test. Eldho’s manager had seen first-hand the improvement in his language skills over the course of a year and was keen to support his SIFE application.

“I explained the situation to my manager. They knew my skills and knowledge and they were very happy with me – they wanted me to be a nurse in their own department.”

Encouraged by his employer, Eldho completed his OSCE and CBT training. He was nervous but was fortunate to get a great training instructor. The instructor helped him to regain confidence in his existing skills and abilities, and Eldho passed his OSCE on the first attempt. He was ready to complete his application using the SIFE process.

When Eldho received his SIFE form, his manager, while very supportive, was unsure of the process. Eldho was able to explain the steps and the information required. With his manager’s help, he gathered the two forms of English language evidence he needed for SIFE: a letter proving that he had trained and qualified in English, plus the supporting information from his employer.

Eldho submitted his complete NMC application and received his PIN, becoming a registered nurse in February 2023. Since completing his registration, Eldho has started a support group to help other internationally educated professionals who want to join the NMC register using SIFE.

Eldho suggests to anyone thinking of using SIFE to look at the NMC pre-application checklist first. This checklist shows what evidence is needed, who to contact and what guidance to read before starting an application.

Eldho is extremely grateful for what he’s been able to achieve through SIFE.

“My managers were very, very supportive and I’m very thankful to them – there is no words to express my thanks. SIFE is like a life-changer.”

Courtesy NMC