Please note that our next intake will be in January 2025. We will open applications for this intake in August 2024. Please refer to the 'recruitment process' section at the bottom of this webpage for more information on the application process.

The return to nursing practice (RTP) programme is for Adult (General), Child and Mental Health Nurses who no longer have ‘live’ registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC); and wish to re-enter the profession after a complete break in practice, or where they have worked fewer than 450 hours in the past three years and unable to meet the requirements for revalidation with the NMC (2019).

Watch Health Education England's video about returning to nursing.

Prior to applying for the course you must secure a clinical placement in a healthcare setting – either in an acute or community NHS trust, or in the private sector.

• Lapsed NMC registration following a complete break in practice, or where you have worked fewer than 450 hours in the past three years.
• Confirmation of a practice placement to complete the programme
• Successful interview between the practice provider anda BU representative
• If English is not your first language: IELTS (Academic) 7.0 with at least  7 for reading, listening, and speaking, and at least 6.5 for writing. 

Course Structure and Duration

The programme comprises of both theoretical and practice elements. It is designed to enable Nurses to re-enter registered practice with up-to-date proficiencies, knowledge and skills, and the confidence to maintain safe and effective standards of patient care. It is a programme that is a refresher and not re-training.

The programme consists of eight study days which are delivered with a blend of face-to-face teaching and online delivery. These study days are delivered over a three-month period and students will be expected to undertake self-managed learning outside of the taught and placement time. Whichever part of the nursing register (adult, child, or mental health) you are planning to re-enter, there are common themes that are covered with time spent in the classroom and in our simulation labs. 

The time you take to complete the programme will depend on your previous experience, the time you have been away from nursing and the time required to successfully complete the practice and theoretical assessments

This programme requires 100% attendance.

Pre-Course work

You will need to complete a self-assessment document prior to your initial interview with your practice assessor . This will enable you to identify your previous knowledge and skills against the required practice proficiencies to be completed during the programme.

In addition, familiarisation with core programme materials is encouraged with access to Brightspace, our electronic repository prior to the programme commencing.

Students will in invited to an online zoom meeting in early January with the Programme Lead to meet the other students and an opportunity to ask any questions prior to the programme commencing. 

Practice Placement

Prior to applying for the programme you must secure a practice placement in a healthcare setting – either in an acute or community NHS trust, or in the private sector. Returnees are required to secure a practice placement for the duration of the programme, in an environment that holds an NMC educational audit completed by Bournemouth University or another approved Higher Education Institution.  The practice placement may be completed as part of employed contractual work or by working as an honorary member of staff. You must complete a minimum of 150 hours within the clinical setting upto a maximum of 450 hours.

The identified practice placement needs to  meet the programme assessment requirements, personal circumstances and reflect the returnee’s ’s field of practice, taking into account any reasonable adjustments for disabilities.

Students should plan, where employment checks and mandatory training are completed, to start placement the week before the University programme commences. Practice placements must normally be within Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset or Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Once you have identified a placement, you will be required to attend a joint interview with a member of University staff and a representative from your identified  practice placement.

During your practice time you will work in a role equivalent to that of a third-year pre-registration student. However, all practice placements need to appreciate that you are not a pre-registration student and bring a wealth of previous knowledge, skills and experience back into nursing. The responsibilities for both the practice provider and BU prior to the programme commencing can be found in the Induction Checklist under the 'Downloads' section on the right of this page.

A minimum of 15 practice hours is required per week, over a minimum of two 7.5 hour shifts per week up to full time hours for the duration of the programme. Negotiation with the placement provider as to how the required clinical hours are completed needs to be organised prior to commencing the placement, as well as confirmation of a named NMC Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor(s).

Practice Placements – Contact Details

If you are interested in gaining a clinical placement in an NHS Trust please email the following relevant Education Leaders with a summary of your recent working history and stating your preferred clinical area in which you are seeking a placement.

Dorset

• Adult Mental Health (Dorset) - Helen Leah- Helen.Leah1@nhs.net

• Adult General - Community (Dorset) - Helen Leah- Helen.Leah1@nhs.net

• University Hospitals Dorset (Bournemouth/Poole) - Hannah Street - returntopractice@uhd.nhs.uk

• Dorset County Hospital - Charlotte Blowers - Charlotte.Blowers@dchft.nhs.uk

• Our Dorset (for GP surgeries and social care) - contact@joinourdorset.nhs.uk

Southern Health

• Sue Tarling – sue.tarling@southernhealth.nhs.uk

Salisbury Area

• Salisbury District Hospital – Miranda Kraunsoe  - m.kraunsoe@nhs.net

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

• Caryss Knighton - caryssknighton@nhs.net

Hampshire Hospitals 

 Gabrielle Clarke - Gabrielle.Clarke@hhft.nhs.uk

University Hospitals Southampton

• Nicky George - nicola.george@uhs.nhs.uk

Isle of Wight

• iownt.ClinicalEducationTeam@nhs.net

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

• professionaleducation.Team@porthosp.nhs.uk

Julia's House Hospice (Dorset/Wiltshire) Paediatric Nurses only

• clinicaldevelopment@juliashouse.org

If you wish to undertake your practice  placement in the private sector you will need to contact them directly. Please check that the placement has an NMC educational audit to take pre-registration students and that a Practice Assessor is available to sign-off your competencies.

The Recruitment Process

The recruitment process is as follows:

1. Prospective returners to make an enquiry to an NHS Trust or Private organisation to secure a practice placement
2. Applicants formally apply to a Practice Provider for a return to practice position. Internal returnees to discuss contractual arrangements to secure a return to nursing practice placement.
3. Online interviews are organised by the Practice area between the returnee, practice provider representative and BU academic. A short 5 minute presentation will be asked of the returnee.
4. If successful, the practice provider will be responsible for organising employment checks and mandatory training prior to commencement of  the programme. 
5. The returnee can then complete the BU online application form for the programme on this page. 
6. Once the returnee is accepted BU will send out electronically programme information prior to the start date. 

 Please contact us on the enquiry button above should you have any questions.

The assessments to be successfully completed for re-entry to the register include:

• Online Practice Assessment document
• Safe-medicate drug calculation online assessment
• 2000 word assignment 

Please be aware that, at the earliest, it will be approximately six months before you can apply for NMC re-registration, as successful assessments  will have to go to a  University exam board  before you can be declared eligible for re-registration. After which the NMC will be contacted to re-active your PIN.

Course review:

In order to take advantage of new approaches to learning and teaching, as well as developments in practice to benefit our students we regularly review all of our courses. This course is currently going through this process and we will update this page to give you full information about what we will be offering once the review process has concluded.  These changes will come into effect for all new students from September 2025. Applicants will be notified by our admissions team of any changes.