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If you're an Irish nurse who has trained or works in the UK... COME BACK! We need you!
All joking aside, many Irish nurses choose to train and qualify in the United Kingdom or as soon as they qualify in Ireland decide to relocate, and we support their endeavours wholeheartedly. But what about when these nurses decide to return to Ireland? How can they smoothly fall back into the Irish Healthcare system? Let's explore the steps they need to take to register and work as nurses in Ireland.
If you are thinking about returning to the Emerald Isle for more than just a visit or a holiday, the first thing you consider is your registration to work as a nurse in Ireland; Did you let your registration lapse? Is your qualification from the UK only registered with the NMC? To be eligible to work and secure employment you must be registered with the Nurses and Midwifery Board in Ireland (NMBI).
There are a lot of variables and different pathways for this:
More details on this can be found here.
If you had previously been registered with the NMBI before you left, but your registration has lapsed, don't worry! Returning to the register can be activated relatively quickly.
If you're still registered with NMBI... happy days! You're ready to get back to nursing in Ireland without additional steps.
An NMBI registration is required to work as a nurse in Ireland
When you make the decision to start applying for roles in Ireland (with Clarity Recruitment, of course) the first roadblock is always going to be your 'lack of Irish experience', which can be very frustrating when you have five or more years of nursing experience.
Unfortunately this is a very common situation, where senior nurses or nurse managers have to temporarily 'settle' for a more junior role to gain Irish experience, to get them back to the senior level they were working in the UK. Rest assured that it is necessary for you to get this ‘Irish experience’ in the Irish healthcare system and any progress to managerial or senior posts will be fast tracked!
If you choose to relocate and get a nursing role through Clarity, we will ensure that your salary will be matched as best as possible, even if you have to momentarily take a step back in order to project your skills forward.
Garda vetting is mandatory before starting any healthcare job in Ireland. All nurses and healthcare professionals must be Garda vetted on behalf of the company they are working for. This applies to both permanent employers and agencies (like Clarity Locums - hint hint!).
Your police clearance will depend on your location before relocation. For healthcare professionals in Ireland, you are required to have the highest level of clearance.
You are required to be Garda Vetted in order to practice nursing
You got the role, now you have to complete the training!
HSeLanD stands as Ireland's central hub for online learning and professional growth in healthcare. All nurses and healthcare workers in Ireland are required to enrol and finish training via this platform. You can access the HSeLanD website here. The majority of courses on HSeLanD are both cost-free and compulsory before embarking on your new role.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) oversees the education, training, and regulation of nurses working in Ireland, including those who have relocated. They also support nurses in adhering to patient care standards.
The Irish Nurses and Midwifery Organisation (INMO) is Ireland's largest professional nursing/midwifery organisation. They ensure optimal patient care and practice. They're a vital resource for nurses in Ireland.
In general, the nurse salary in Ireland is based on a salary scale set out by the Irish Nurses and Midwifery Organisation (INMO).
The INMO pay scale is divided into 30 different job roles, with different pay bands for each job role depending on the experience of the nurse. In the UK, the nursing pay scale is divided into 9 bands with different pay rates for each band depending on the nurse's experience.
This scale is based on experience, with yearly increments as you learn and develop.
According to the INMO, the starting salary for a newly qualified nurse in Ireland is €33,193. From there, the salary increases on average €1,500 per year, with the top of the scale for nurses with 12 years of experience being €49,385.
You can read more about the bands/years here.
In addition to the INMO salary scale, nurses in Ireland can also receive allowances. The two most common forms of allowance are location and qualification allowances. It's important to note that you can only receive one of these allowances, whichever is greater.
The location allowance is around €2,516 per year and is applied when a nurse works in a particularly specialised or high-intensity environment, such as a busy emergency department or a high-dependency unit. This allowance is based on the area in the hospital in which you are stationed and is not related to your place of residence.
The qualification allowance is €2,791 and applies to nurses who have an extra qualification that is immediately relevant to their work, such as a Master’s degree. It's important to note that once a nurse reaches a certain point, such as becoming a clinical nurse manager, they are no longer entitled to the qualification allowance.
You can read more about allowances here.
Clarity Recruitment offers one-to-one career consultations where we can help you on your way to your dream nursing career. Book a call with us at a time and date that suits you and we can discuss available job opportunities in your area, as well as offer support with CV creation and interview preparation.
