The aim of this paper is to identify barriers to quality mental health nurse education in the United Kingdom and show these through the sharing of personal experiences of working as a mental health nurse academic. Since the Nursing and Midwifery Council introduced their \'future nurse\' education standards in 2018, mental health content for mental health nurses has been argued to have been marginalised. The sense of a diluted mental health nurse education was supported by an open letter, signed by over 100 mental health nurses, with representation across 33 universities. Nonetheless, the approach taken by the NMC has been defended. Meanwhile, mental health nurse academics all over the United Kingdom are having varying experiences, some of incredible discomfort and invalidation. The movement \'mental health deserves better\' arose through many of these mental health nurses feeling they had no representation or channel to voice their concerns. This is a personal position paper which outlines barriers to autonomy for mental health nurse academics, and shares personal opinion on experiences which have impacted the ability to deliver a depth of knowledge, skill and critical thinking to students, impacting the quality of new mental health nurse graduates. The issue is discussed using contemporary literature to support lines of argument, which are augmented by personal experiences of working in nurse education. There are complex interconnected issues within nurse education which can hinder the autonomy of mental health nursing to decide its own future. This paper recounts a personal journey. Often we cannot understand the failings of a system until we try to navigate it from the inside.

Background: Many of the overseas qualified nurses educated work as health care assistants and support workers for a decreased wage without scope for professional advancement. There is an imperative to ease their entry to the nursing register.Aim: To gather and provide evidence to the regulatory bodies regarding the demographics of this cohort of nurses and the challenges they face in attempting to register as a nurse.Design: This study used a mixed-method explanatory sequential design. The survey was completed by 857 unregistered nurses followed by five in-depth interviews. Results from both phases were triangulated.Results: The results signpost to the characteristics and challenges of these nurses working as unqualified grades of staff for a decreased wage without scope for professional advance.Discussion and conclusion: The downward occupational spiral of internationally educated nurses underscores the paradoxical nature of the pedagogical application of transition theory, as these nurses are compelled to revert to a novice status.

UNASSIGNED: The overseas applicant\'s capability of practising safely and effectively is proven through the tests of competence which consist of computer-based tests and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). All prospective applicants to the Nursing and Midwiferey Council (NMC) register must be able to demonstrate that their skills, knowledge and behaviours are at the level required to meet the NMC preregistration nursing or midwifery standards for the United Kingdom (UK).
UNASSIGNED: The aim of this review is to explore the challenges faced whilst undertaking these tests of competence, the OSCE, by overseas educated nurses who aspire for Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration in the UK.
UNASSIGNED: A scoping review using the Arksey and O\'Malley (2005) framework was conducted to explore and produce a profile of the existing literature on the registration requirements of the NMC. A search of CINAHL, Medline and Scopus resulted in 150 records, which were then screened against the inclusion criteria - English Language, publication between 2015 onwards and discussed the language tests/competency tests required for gaining entry to the NMC register. A total of nine articles met the criteria and are included in this scoping review. The PRISMA-ScR framework is used to present the review.
UNASSIGNED: There was a paucity of studies that addressed the experience of overseas nurses who faced the OSCE. An interpretative stance was adopted to formulate the themes which were: competence/practice disparity, arbitrary issues for failing, failure to capture the digital health agenda, financial implications, and consequences of failing the OSCE. The results raise concern whether the nurses from overseas are held to higher standards than those trained in the UK and whether the assessment process is realistic and not pedantic.
UNASSIGNED: This scoping review demonstrates there is a lack of robust research evaluating the effectiveness of tests of competencies. The review indicates there is no due acknowledgement of the previous skills and knowledge of the overseas nurses. Future research should focus on exploring the feasibility of tests of competence and its role in the integration of the nursing workforce.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review will establish how Fitness to Practise (FtP) processes are applied in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEI), in relation to both Health and Care Profession Council or Nursing and Midwifery Council approved programmes.
BACKGROUND: Healthcare students are required to complete both practice and theory elements, in order to gain their degree and qualify as a healthcare practitioner such as a nurse. It is a requirement of UK HEIs which provide healthcare programmes, to provide evidence to the appropriate regulatory body that FtP policies and processes are in place, and that they review and manage any concerns in relation to a student\'s standard of practice. Regulatory bodies provide HEIs with strategic guidance on policy which can be interpreted and incorporated into existing policies; this means that there is no standard approach to the FtP process in HEI settings, allowing individual policies and procedures to exist.
METHODS: A systematic review, registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022291532 on the 21st January 2022).
METHODS: Peer reviewed studies published in ten databases were used which included: Medline, Cochrane Library, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Education Source, PsycInfo and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Complete. Citation searching also occurred.
METHODS: This systematic review utilised Preferred Reporting items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) techniques. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklists were used to appraise the quality of the research.
RESULTS: In total twenty-five articles were retrieved including five papers that were finally selected for review. A thematic analysis identified three themes: a lack of identification of what FtP expectations are; the importance of collaborative working between Higher Education Institutions and practice; the inconsistencies with Higher Education Institution processes in managing FtP concerns.
CONCLUSIONS: A lack of understanding of what FtP expectations are for students was identified. Collaborative working between Higher Education Institutions and practice is necessary to ensure healthcare students meet FtP requirements consistently in order to protect the public. Although HEIs FtP processes contain similar principles, it has been identified that there are inconsistencies in this process across universities in the UK. These differences include: what initiates the FtP process, to the outcomes. This could have an impact on patient care and safety, the need for review of national guidance, and potential amendments being required to the policies and procedures of both NHS Trusts and private organisations.

Four years on from its launch in 2018 (at the time of writing), the authors provide an up-to-date efficacy assessment of the ongoing implementation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council\'s Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses (NMC) (2018a). Although these standards have comprehensively transformed the mentorship practices of nursing education courses within higher education, this article provides the first attempt to gauge and synthesise attitudes towards their implementation. Presenting the results of an evaluative survey that collates educators\' current views on the implementation of these NMC standards, the authors detail and analyse the past and continuing impacts of this paradigm shift on staff, students, and practice. The findings contribute to the nascent body of knowledge, primarily clustering around four interlinked themes: slow acclimatisation to new models of assessment and supervision; variation in levels of preparation; prohibitive workloads; and role conflict. The authors conclude by providing a recommendation that more robust training resources around the NMC\'s standards are implemented nationally, in order to provide consistency of delivery by educators across the sector.

OBJECTIVE: To understand Filipino nurses\' experiences of the \'Test of Competence\' process, alongside the additional competency requirements of their sponsor Trust.
BACKGROUND: The Philippines has been a significant and sustained source of foreign trained nurses to the UK over the past twenty years. Since October 2014, the Nursing and Midwifery Council has required that all non-UK nurses pass a \'Test of Competence\' prior to acquiring registration. However, there is limited evidence exploring how overseas nurses experience this process and the tests which comprise it.
METHODS: A qualitative study informed by pragmatism, using focus group discussions.
METHODS: Focus groups were held with pre-departure nurses in Manila, the Philippines and with post-arrival Filipino nurses in the Southeast of England. A total of 21 male and female Filipino nurses participated. Qualitative data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.
RESULTS: Three themes were generated in relation to the competency process. Firstly, inappropriate preparation, Second, a competency/practice disparity and finally intergenerational and intra-professional support.
CONCLUSIONS: Some aspects of the \'Test of Competence\' process were seen as unnecessarily difficult, contradictory, repetitious and/or of little relevance to practice. Lack of support and insufficient information relating to how best prepare for the tests were mitigated to some extent by individual learning and informal support mechanisms. An evaluation of the impact that repeated changes to the Test of Competence process may have on the quality of support offered by NHS Trusts to overseas nurses is recommended.

BACKGROUND: The role of the advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) is not regulated in the UK, which has led to wide variation in the skills, competencies and academic qualifications of nurses using this title. Urgent treatment centres (UTCs) require a broad and experienced knowledge base to meet the demand of patients presenting with undifferentiated illnesses and injuries, which can be stressful and challenging.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the perceptions and beliefs about ANP regulation, and to explore and discuss any ideas about proposed regulation.
METHODS: The author used interpretative phenomenological analysis to uncover valuable insights into the experiences of two ANPs working in an UTC, and their beliefs around regulation of the ANP role.
RESULTS: Both ANPs had different backgrounds and qualifications yet still had similar perceptions and beliefs regarding the regulation of ANPs. Five main themes were developed from the interview transcripts.
CONCLUSIONS: This study identified the need to consider the importance of ANPs\' identity and the complex regulatory process required to standardise the role.

UNASSIGNED: Effective record-keeping and documentation is an essential element of all healthcare professionals\' roles, including nurses, and can support the provision of safe, high-quality patient care. This article explains the importance of record-keeping and documentation in nursing and healthcare, and outlines the principles for maintaining clear and accurate patient records. REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: \'How to\' articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence-based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of.

Internationally educated nurses (IENs) require robust teaching programmes to support them through the objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) process to gain registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. There should be measures in place to support these nurses from a clinical and pastoral perspective. It is also important to learn from IENs, because moving to a different country is an emotional and life-changing experience that affects nurses and their families. Preparation is central to completing the programme successfully, alongside having the resources required in terms of time and a dedicated facility for practise. This article describes the development and implementation of an OSCE preparation teaching programme to support IENs, discusses the challenges for teachers and participants, and shows how having a dedicated facility and programme lead has led to excellent results.

Nurses require effective communication and interpersonal skills to provide optimal care, and to ensure that patients and their families and carers have a positive experience of receiving care. The new Nursing and Midwifery Council standards of proficiency for registered nurses, and for nurse education and training, published in May 2018, recognise that future nurses will be practising in increasingly complex roles and environments. This article identifies the essential communication skills that will be required by nurses in the future, summarising the characteristics of a modern nurse communicator. It also suggests various approaches that nurses can use to develop their communication skills.