Return to Practice
Introduction
Your wealth of experience and your life skills are vital for today’s NHS and care sector. Colleagues in practice placement settings are ready to welcome you, make you part of the team, and help you refresh your knowledge and skills as a registered nurse or midwife as quickly as possible.
Undertaking the Return to Practice programme can feel like a daunting prospect, when you have been away from nursing or midwifery for a while, but we want to assure you that we understand the challenges, and the team will work with you to give you the best possible chance of success.
Please join us at the Microsoft teams meeting on Wednesday 17 May at 6pm – 7:30pm and discover ways to return, the funding and resources available and meet some local employers to hear about the opportunities available.
There will be a huge body of goodwill, support and encouragement following you through the programme if you undertake it, including The South East return to practice team and local employers, your university and your practice educators.
After successful completion of the programme and regaining NMC registration, you will be ready to take up a registered nursing or midwifery role.
Local employers and what they offer
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health services and other community based health services, primarily to the resident population of the Royal County of Berkshire, England. The Trust is supportive of nurses and allied health professionals (AHP) wishing to return to practice and would love to support you on this journey.
To start your journey, please complete the Return to practice – Expression of Interest Form
Berkshire Healthcare is keen to support you on your journey back via:
- Employment route. This is an exciting opportunity in which you will be offered employment while you undertake the course or complete the Test of Competence.
- Providing clinical placements for Return to Practice Courses
For Return to Practice queries, please contact - Learning Environment Leads (LearningEnvironmentLeads@berkshire.nhs.uk)
Links to website - Return to Practice Programme | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust - one of the largest hospital foundation trusts in the country, which currently touches the lives of 500,000 patients in the west of Berkshire every year by providing high quality acute medical and surgical services for local communities. It is also the region's specialist centre for cancer, eye and renal (kidney) care serving more than one million people across Berkshire and south Oxfordshire. The main site is the Royal Berkshire hospital in Reading. The trust also provides services at West Berkshire Community hospital near Newbury; the Prince Charles eye unit in Windsor; the renal unit based between Slough and Windsor; outpatient services at Townlands hospital in Henley. The trust also has a cancer and renal centre at the Royal Berkshire Bracknell clinic.
Perhaps you are a former allied health professional (AHP) who is committed and determined to re-join the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)?
The trust offers a bespoke service to return. This includes supporting clinical placements as part of a return to practice programme at university and supporting returners through the NMC test of competence.
It also has the option of doing this through an employment route where you would be employed during your return and move into a registered post on completion. Alternatively, the trust will support you through a supernumerary student placement, where you are not employed, but receive a bursary.
For advice on which route may suit you best, please contact:
Daniel Whitford: Daniel.Whitford@royalberkshire.nhs.uk
Application for employment:
There are job adverts on NHS jobs for return to practice nursing and AHP return to practice. Please search and apply at:
https://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/work-with-us/job-vacancies/
or direct for nursing at:
Case study from our nurse returnee Mary-Anne
Senior Staff Nurse, Bracknell Outpatients
I completed my Return to Practice course in the first half of 2021. I had trained nearly 30 years before and worked for a number of years mainly in hospice nursing. I stopped when I had my children and didn’t return so my registration lapsed. When my children were older I began to work part time as a health care assistant in an outpatient setting. My colleagues often encouraged me to do my Return to Practice but I was always reluctant as I was nervous of going back into a ward setting. Eventually, with encouragement again from others, I decided that I really should do my course before I turned 50! I did my course through Oxford Brookes University. As it was during Covid much of my course was online which actually was easier for me as it meant I didn’t have to travel lots to Oxford. I then had an 8-week placement at Wokingham hospital.
After the initial nerves at going back into training after such a long time I really enjoyed my course and enjoyed learning again. I even managed to write an essay! It was daunting going onto the ward, especially in the middle of Covid but I soon found that my nursing skills returned and although lots of things were very different, many things were still very similar.
I am now back really enjoying working as a nurse in outpatients and all the other opportunities that I now have as a registered nurse. I am so pleased that I did my Return to Practice course and would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking about doing it!”
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Oxford University Hospitals is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in England. The clinical services at Oxford University Hospitals are grouped into divisions:
- Neurosciences, Orthopaedics, Trauma, Specialist Surgery, Children's and Neonates
- Medicine, Rehabilitation and Cardiac
- Surgery, Women's and Oncology
- Clinical Support Services
Please go to the The Return to Practice website for further information - If you are interested in returning to practice, and would like to work at Oxford University Hospitals, please contact Hayley Harvey, Learning Environment Lead RoutesIntoNursing@ouh.nhs.uk, Tel: 01865 743173
General Practice Return to Practice opportunities - Please contact Primary Care School primarycareschooltvw.se@hee.nhs.uk
For more information on services please see TVW Primary Care School - Training Hubs (hee.nhs.uk)
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust - provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
Services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and in people’s homes with a focus on delivering care as close to home as possible.
For further information - Return to Practice at Oxford Health NHS FT and general email enquiries learn@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust runs Wycombe Hospital, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Amersham Hospital, Buckingham Community Hospital and Thame Community Hospital. It is a family of 6,000 highly-trained and qualified doctors, nurses, midwives, health visitors, therapists, healthcare scientists and support staff. It cares for a population of 500,000 people across three hospitals, local bases and the community. Its stroke service is one of the best in the region and it is a regional centre for burns and plastics. The trust also provides the world-famous National Spinal Injuries Centre.
Are you a former nurse or midwife with the desire and drive to return and re-join the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register?
Perhaps you are a former allied health professional (AHP) who is committed and determined to re-join the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)?
Are you looking for a supportive environment in which to return?
To start your journey, please complete the Return to practice – Expression of Interest Form
You already have many of the skills and experience to make a big difference to patients and their families. If you are ready to come back, Buckinghamshire would love to hear from you. Please contact bht.returntopractice@nhs.net for an informal conversation.
BHT is a dedicated return to practice lead who will support you throughout your journey. It works in partnership with Brighton and Plymouth universities which offer programmes online. The trust has placement opportunities across three hospital sites as well as in the community, enabling nurses, midwives and AHPs to gain competence and confidence to return to registered practice. Placements are currently offered on an unpaid voluntary (elective) basis. You will have a Trust honorary contract for the duration of your placement and support from practice supervisors, an assessor and the pre-registration education team.
Sarah’s Journey
Sarah qualified as a children’s nurse in 2007, however due to family commitments she needed to take a break.
Sarah never intended to leave the profession however, as time went by, returning seemed an impossible option.
In 2021 Sarah saw an email from HEE as part of their return to practice campaign with local schools. Even then she felt too much time had lapsed after 14 years out of practice. However, after initial conversations, Sarah said that BHT could not have been more encouraging.
Sarah started her return to practice journey in January 2022. She found that peer support from others on the course was invaluable and is now happily working as a paediatric staff nurse in BHT.
“Please don’t think it is impossible. On day one of being on the ward I realised that the fundamental principles of nursing remained the same and I remembered why I loved being a nurse”
For further information go to www.buckshealthcare.nhs.uk or drop into an open day. For further information and dates please email bht.returntopractice@nhs.net or gp to https://forms.office.com/e/WCG7wCmWsP