NMC clarification following questions about its registration processes for internationally educated professionals

We’ve received some questions about a historical third party blog from 2020 relating to our requirements for internationally educated nurses to join our register in the mental health field.

We have made no recent changes in this area and the current approach has been in place since 2019.

Before being able to join the register, internationally trained professionals must hold a qualification that will or has allowed them to register in their country of training. In the field of mental health, internationally trained professionals must also complete our test of competence (ToC). The ToC is mapped to our standards and assesses skills and knowledge in the fields in which professionals join our register - mental health, adult, children’s or learning disability nursing. It includes a computer based test and the in-person objective structure clinical examination.

While internationally trained professionals do not need to hold a specific mental health nursing qualification to take the mental health nursing ToC, they would have to be able to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in this field of nursing practice in order to complete the ToC.

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