ARU offers Return to Nursing Practice and Return to Midwifery Practice courses (subject to NMC approval).
This module aims to prepare returners to re-register with the NMC and meet the holistic needs of patients and clients safely and effectively in a variety of practice settings. Upon successful completion, they should be able to work in partnership with service users, their families, carers, and other professionals within the scope of their role, and deliver evidence-based practice which is compassionate, safe and person-centred.
The module will support them to access learning opportunities and resources to help them develop academically and to increase transferable skills.
It will also prepare them to meet the Return to Practice Standards (NMC, 2019a) and Standards for Return to Practice Programmes (NMC, 2019b), as well as the Future Midwife: Standards of Proficiency for Midwives (NMC, 2019c) or Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Nurses (NMC, 2018).
Module content will develop their understanding and critical thinking and enhance their ability to apply theory to practice. Throughout the course the returner will be expected to manage their own learning and develop knowledge and skills.
Returners will be expected to undertake a minimum of 150 hours' and a maximum of 450 hours' supernumerary clinical practice, but this will be dependent on the length of time since they were last in practice. This supernumerary status is designed to allow returners to refresh prior clinical skills and knowledge while developing the new proficiencies that they will need to return to the NMC register.
The returner will be supported in practice learning by a Practice Supervisor (who is an NMC or other registered health professional), and a Practice Assessor and Academic Assessor who are on the same part of the NMC register.
For returners who are employed, supernumerary status includes practice placements within their place of employment but does not apply when they are working in their substantive role.
At the start of the module, the academic assessor (who is one of the course team) will meet with the returner and practice assessor to review their existing knowledge and skills and discuss how much time they will need to complete in clinical practice during the module. This will depend on a number of factors, including how long their registration has been lapsed, and what roles they undertook during this period. As a guide, someone who has been lapsed for five years might only need to complete the minimum 150 hours, but someone who has been lapsed for ten years or more might need to undertake 300 or more hours.
You can read more about supernumerary status on the NMC website.Read our quick reference guide for Return to Practice (PDF)
This Practice Assessment Document is designed to support and guide the student towards successfully achieving the criteria set out in the Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses and Standards for Education and Training (NMC 2018) and Part 3: Standards for Return to Practice Programmes (NMC 2019). The PAD forms a mandatory component of the assessment for the Return to Practice programme.