Frequently asked questions

We’re asking people on the temporary register to complete a diversity survey. Collecting this information helps us to meet our legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. You can read more about why collect this information in our privacy notice.

You may have received a request from ‘survey@wh.snapsurveys.net’ . This message is authentic and has been sent by the NMC.

To ensure we build up the Covid-19 temporary register in a safe and measured way, we will be inviting groups of people that we determine to be fit, proper and suitably experienced to join the register in a certain order.

Find out who can join the temporary register on our Covid-19 temporary registration page.

If you left the permanent registrant in the last three years, you will not be working under conditions of practice. 

You will be working under conditions of practice if:

• you left the permanent register more than three years ago but up to five years ago, or
• you're an overseas candidate who meets the requirements for temporary registration

Find out more about these conditions of practice.

No, you do not need to pay a registration fee to join the Covid-19 temporary register.

Please speak to your employer about what arrangements will be in place for indemnity cover. The government is ensuring that legal protections will be in place for those who take part in work as part of the Covid-19 response.

No. Our normal registration and revalidation requirements will not apply to those joining the Covid-19 temporary register.

Once you have completed our online temporary registration form, we will check this and let you know when we have added you to the Covid-19 temporary register.

We will then make your details available to those leading the UK’s health and care services who are co-ordinating and planning how best to deploy the emergency workforce.

If they need your support, they’ll contact you directly on the email address that you give us to see if you want to work.

Please follow the most recent government advice relating to keeping well during this period and discuss this with your employer.

You must give due consideration to your health and well being before opting in to be on the Covid-19 temporary register. Please refer to the most recent government guidance when making your decision. It may be possible that there are support and advice roles that you could be involved in. Please speak with your employer.

No, your previous post-registration qualifications will not stand if you are on the temporary register. This includes any previous prescribing qualification you may have held.

These would not be dealt with by way of any FtP proceedings, but where there were justifiable concerns the Registrar would have the power to remove you from the temporary register.

You can get advice on this from the Department for Work and Pensions.

At any time during or after your temporary registration, you can apply for readmission to our permanent register in line with our return to practice (RtP) standards and readmission process. You can only do this if you have previously been on our permanent register.

Any hours you have practised on the temporary register will count as practice hours needed for readmission to the register (450 hours over three years or 750 hours over five years).

Find out more

If you have been off our permanent register for less than five years, you may opt in to join our temporary register. If you are currently on an RTP course you can defer your course and return at a later date. Your education institution should be able to advise you whether they will grant you Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for the hours you complete in practice while on the temporary register.

Alternatively if the hours you have practised on the temporary register fulfil the criteria for admission (450 hours over three years or 750 hours over five years) then you could apply for readmission.

Find out more

We've closely monitored the ongoing and future workforce requirements and the progression of the pandemic.

Informed by the views of our partners and our assessment of the current situation, we’ve made the decision not to open up the temporary register to nursing students.

Find out more

If you don't want to take part in a clinical placement you don't have to. Your education institution will consider your personal circumstances to find a solution for you. You also have the option of deferring your placement during this time. You will need to discuss this with your education institution.

This will be addressed by your supervisor in practice as part of your learning process and/or as part of your normal university processes, depending on the severity of the circumstances.

Your education institution will have processes to support you during any period of sickness or if your institution closes. Depending on the circumstances, your placement may be deferred for a period of time by your education provider. This may extend the time it takes for you to complete your programme once you return.

Yes. If you are on placement your education institution will make sure that you have met your learning outcome requirements.

No. Hours worked while you’re deferring your programme would not count towards your programme. You will still be expected to achieve all of the learning outcomes specified in our standards. Your university should follow their usual policies and procedures if you’ve chosen to defer for any reason.

No. Hours worked alongside your programme would not count towards your programme. You will still be expected to achieve all of the learning outcomes specified in our standards

The minimum practice hours required for nursing and midwifery education programmes as set out in European legislation. As the professional regulator, we have no power to waive these requirements. Any changes to these requirements would be a matter for the European Commission.

You should follow the guidance from your education institution about whether placements are going ahead. If they are not going ahead then your university should advise you on what this means for you, and what this means for the rest of your programme with them.

Your university should advise you on what this means for you, and what this means for the rest of your programme with them.

Preceptorship is employer led and they will be able to advise you about this when you start working.

Yes. We require all of the learning outcomes to be met by the end of your programme and practice and theory hours will need to be adjusted following the end of the state of emergency in line with our standards.

As you are still required to meet you clinical placement hours you should speak to your education institution about what alternative solutions to clinical placements they have in place.

Yes.

For any assessments or examinations an alternative mode can be used, as long as the education institution ensures the standards are still met. For example in the case of the SCPHN standards for examinations, where an invigilator is required, the education institution will need to consider whether this can still be met by ensuring the secure conditions of invigilation can be achieved remotely. Any change would need to be reported to us using the Covid-19 exceptional reporting form.

Alternatively examinations may have to be deferred until the emergency period is over.

We recommend you speak with your education institution and your employer, they will be able to discuss your options and support you to decide what the most appropriate option would be. 

During these challenging times, different ways of working are required to keep people safe. You will need to discuss your situation with your education institution who will advise you on the options available. You may need to defer your programme of study at this time and continue once the emergency period is over.

You should discuss your situation with your employer and your education institution who will advise you on the options available.

We recommend you speak with your education institution and your employer, they will be able to discuss your options and advise you on how to defer and return to your programme. 

Yes, you should discuss the options with your education institution, who will advise you on how to defer your programme of study and continue once the emergency period is over.

This is a decision for you. If it is not possible to undertake these placements as required in our standards, students may need to defer their placement learning and continue once the emergency period has ended. Any changes made to the programme will need to be exceptionally reported using the Covid-19 exceptional reporting form.

No, nursing associate students should be following their programme of study, including placements, where it is safe and possible for them to do so. If this is not possible they may need to defer their programme until the emergency period is over and then resume their studies. 

Practice learning may be undertaken through simulated learning up to 300 hours (pre-registration nursing education, 2010) or in a proportionate way (standards for pre-registration nursing programmes, 2018). Approved education institutions must ensure that simulated experiences involve direct contact with a healthy or sick individual and/or community for adult nursing to comply with Article 31(5) of Directive 2005/36/EC. Any change to the programme by way of using simulated learning as you describe and how this meets the standards for practice learning can be articulated using the Covide-19 exception reporting form.

Yes, students progressing on their programme will need to rebalance their hours across the rest of the programme. The only difference is for those third year students who have undertaken extended placements in their final 6 months and have successfully met the programme learning outcomes with an increase in practice learning hours.

Please see our Covid-19: Revalidation page for more information on revalidation deadlines during this time.

Please see the blog from our Chief Executive, Andrea Sutcliffe, about this.

We know that nurses, midwives and nursing associates are experienced in dealing with challenging health issues, including infected patients, on a daily basis.

As part of planning preparations, it’s our job to make sure you’re aware that the Code continues to apply. Section 1 explains what you should do to make sure people’s individual needs are recognised, assessed and responded to without undue delay.

It’s also important that you’re supported to take account of your own safety and wellbeing. Your employer is there to help by managing resources effectively and dealing with risk so that that the quality of care or service you provide for people can be maintained.

If you have any concerns that you believe puts you or those you are caring for at increased risk in your workplace, please share these with your manager as soon as possible so they can make sure you’re able to practise safely.

As mentioned in our recent joint statement, we recognise that in highly challenging circumstances you may need to depart from established procedures in order to care for patients and people using health and social care services.

Our regulatory standards are designed to be flexible and to provide a framework for decision-making in a wide range of situations.

In-line with the Code, use your professional judgment, working with other colleagues across all disciplines to assess risk, find the best way to provide care for people while recognising and working within the limits of your competence.

Rules around which businesses and ventures are allowed to operate during this pandemic are issued by the government in each of the countries. The NMC has no decision making powers in relation to this. This means we can neither advise you on the reopening of businesses, nor can we grant you permission to do so. 

Our concern as a professional regulator is whether an individual nurse, midwife or nursing associate on our register has applied the principles of the NMC Code to their practice. This includes ensuring they follow the laws and policies in the countries where they practice, having appropriate indemnity and make decisions (including risk assessments) in line with The Code.

Further information may be available from the relevant system regulator or trading standards body, where appropriate:

• Care Quality Commission (England)
  
• Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (Wales)
• Care Inspectorate (Scotland)
• Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (Northern Ireland)

For registrants managing or working in businesses in the aesthetic and cosmetic industries, you may find it helpful to refer to the guidance of the Professional Standards Authority accredited voluntary registers run by the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners and Save Face, as well as the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses.

Some professional standards and behaviours, as set out in the Code, that may be particularly helpful to bear in mind at this time include:

• Acting in the best interests of people at all times within the limits of your knowledge and competence.
• Keeping to and promoting recommended practice and guidance in relation to controlling and preventing infection.
• As well as your own safety, taking account of the safety of others and the availability of other options for providing care.

We’re encouraging those who are currently on the NMC register, but not working in clinical care, to consider coming into clinical practice during this time where it’s appropriate to do so.

The Department of Health in your country will be coordinating this. Follow the links below for more information:

• England
• Scotland
• Wales 
• Northern Ireland

This decision is for your employer who should be acting within the latest government guidance. Please contact them directly.

Where a nurse, midwife or nursing associate refuses to agree to a Covid-19 test that will primarily be a matter for their employer to deal with. Depending on the individual circumstances, an employer could decide to take disciplinary action against the nurse, midwife or nursing associate.

However, the NMC’s Code says that nurses, midwives and nursing associates must:

• take all reasonable personal precautions necessary to avoid any potential health risks to colleagues, people receiving care and the public (para 19.4)
• maintain the level of health you need to carry out your professional role (para 20.9)

Refusing to agree to a Covid-19 test could be regarded as a failure to comply with these requirements of the Code, depending on the individual circumstances.