To become a registered nurse, you must study at university usually for three or four years depending on the type of nurse you want to be, and therefore then obtain your degree as a qualified nurse. The course at university would be a mixture of theory and placement. You will gain experience in areas such as hospital wards, care home etc when on placement. To be accepted to this course you will have to meet the specific entry requirements of the university and potentially undergo an interview which will all together determine if you have been accepted to the course.
Although, if applicant does not have the qualifications, they have the option to study at college for a year then go into either 1st or 2nd year at university.However, to become a social worker you would study at university for 4 years for the undergraduate course or 22 months for the postgraduate course according to the Dundee University website. Just like the nursing course, students will experience a mixture of theory and practical which will ultimately provide them with the skills and knowledge that are vital to becoming a social worker. ??2. Registration /revalidationRegistration After graduating from University and becoming a qualified nurse, they will need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
To become a registered nurse for the NMC they must demonstrate that they have the competencies that are required to meet the NMCs standards. The NMC states that all nurses must abide by the competency framework which “sets out the standards for competence and the related competencies that every nursing student must acquire before applying to be registered at first level on the nurses’ part of the register.” However, social worker students will need to register with the SSSC in order to practise as a social worker. If they do not register, then it would be against the law for employers to employ them and progress there career in social work.RevalidationNurses and social workers both must display that they can still practise safely, and they possess up to date knowledge. They demonstrate this through revalidation.Every three years, nurses and midwives must revalidate there nursing registration in order to stay registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This allows them to demonstrate that they can safely practise as a nurse in the UK and gives them the opportunity to reflect on their practises.
You must meet the revalidation requirements in order to stay on the NMC register. Nearly all nurses and midwives will possess a portfolio of evidence which will display to the NMC if they have met the requirements of revalidation. Examples of some requirements is that Nurses must show that they have practised a minimum of 450 hours throughout the three years. They must also write five reflective accounts and pay a total of £120 each year to remain on the register. However, if there is not enough evidence that the requirements have been met, then the NMC may ask for more information.
The NMC states that to achieve registration requirements, you must “meet any reasonable requests so we can oversee the registration process”. (NMC 22.1)For revalidating as a social worker, you have to revalidate your registration with the SSSC every three years, so same length of time as nurse’s revalidation with the NMC.
