University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Background

In January 2020 University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust engaged NursingjobsUK to manage a high-volume recruitment drive. This was in response to their significant need for nurses in cardiac, theatre, medicine and surgical wards.​

Challenges faced by the Trust

The Trust acknowledged that staffing levels had a fundamental impact on patient safety. Historically, compared to the North West and London regions, they had experienced difficulties attracting the international healthcare community to the South West Coast of Devon with past projects having little uptake.

Solution and Results

KPI’s and timescales were agreed with the Trust. Candidates were pre-screened according to the Trust’s specification and presented for interview. The recruitment project took 3 months from initial engagement to the nurses being in post. Through the combined effort of both parties working together, all goals were achieved and completed within the elected time frame. Staffing levels were improved enabling the Trust to continue to provide high quality care standards for all patients whilst reducing their agency spend. The Trust were impressed with the high calibre of candidates put forward and the smooth compliance and recruitment process. This recruitment project was shortlisted in the HSJ Partnership Awards as ‘Staffing Solution of the Year’, recognising our outstanding contribution to healthcare.

Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Background

In January 2019 NursingjobsUK helped Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with a high-volume international recruitment drive. The Trust had identified gaps in their workforce and needed support with recruiting nurses in a variety of specialities including general medicine, surgical and paediatric nurses.

​Challenges faced by the Trust

The Trust were struggling to fulfil their requirement in country. They realised the importance of getting the recruitment process right and the need to follow all immigration and professional registration requirements, which is why they sought the assistance of an experienced recruitment agency. In addition, the Covid Pandemic meant that the Trust were unable to conduct face to face interviews but with the assistance of NursingjobsUK interviews were co-ordinated in the required time frame and took place remotely.

Solution and Results

KPI’s and timescales were agreed with the Trust. Candidates were pre-screened according to the Trust’s specification and presented for interview. A comprehensive plan for candidate induction and predeparture programmes as well as pastoral support were implemented in order to attract high calibre candidates and aid good retention levels.

As part of the pastoral support provided to candidates arriving in the UK, we assisted one of our nurses with the logistics of returning home to India because of a sudden family bereavement.

We also supported candidates with sourcing accommodation once their free accommodation, supplied by the Trust on arrival, had expired.

Visa support for immediate family members was also provided as part Nursingjobs’ pastoral care package.

The recruitment project has been ongoing since 2019 with cohorts arriving on a rolling monthly basis.

James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Background

In 2017 James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reached out to experienced international recruitment agencies including NursingjobsUK to help them recruit international nurses of all specialisms to ease the pressure they were facing with a shortage of UK based nurses.

​Challenges faced by the Trust

The Trust had experienced problems with recruitment, in part due to their location in the Great Yarmouth area. Resort towns are not typically favoured by candidates looking to relocate from overseas, opting instead for larger capitals such as Manchester.

In 2017 large scale international nurse recruitment was relatively new and so international candidates who had embarked on IELTS was less common but was still a requirement.

Solution and Results

NursingjobsUK initiated a thorough marketing campaign which focussed on attracting nurses with the required IELTS scores as well as promoting Great Yarmouth as a good place to live and work. i.e promoting the areas affordability with it being the most affordable place to live in the East of England.

Face to face Interviews were arranged with candidates in the chosen source country, Kerala in India, where they were pre-screened according to the Trust’s specification before being presented to the Trust for final interview

NursingjobsUK successfully placed more than 20 nurses within the required timeframe as set out by the Trust and with the required IELTS scores.

Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Background

Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust approached Nursingjobsuk to engage their services as an Approved Supplier of OSCE Training Support (NHS Framework Alliance), to provide training for 66 of their international nurses.Historically, overseas nurses who joined their Trust underwent a 6-week residential OSCE training course upon their arrival in the UK, before actually starting their roles within the Trust.

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Challenges faced by the Trust

As nurses were promptly enrolled in a residential OSCE training course as soon as they arrived in the UK, detaching them from the Trust before they could acclimatise, it was believed a more effective approach would be to integrate the nurses into the Trust upon their arrival enhancing the pastoral care provided by the Trust. Previously, nurses often faced prolonged gaps between completing their training and taking the OSCE exam.​​

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Solutions and Results

The nurses embarked on a 30-day blended learning program, which involved attending face-to-face training sessions at our OSCE training facility once a week over the course of 30 days. Throughout this period, they also had unrestricted access to our online Learning Management System, enabling them to engage in self-practice at any time. To enable nurses to practice skills they learnt during training we provided a self-practice kit including items such as ANTT Dressing Pack, Catheter Dressing Pack, Circle plasters, Gauze swabs, Sodium Chloride Normasol, Glove pack, Lubricant jelly, Pre injection wipes, Clinell universal wipes (big pack), Alcohol wipes (equipment)small, Safety needles (Red) Safety needles(orange), Safety needles (Blue), 5mlsyringe, 10oml syringe, insulin syringe (safety needle), Urine Catheter, LegBag.​

​The training spanned four weeks instead of being conducted simultaneously to optimize learning and memory retention. This approach allowed candidates ample time for reflection on their learning progress. The nurses’ training concluded with two mock exams scheduled at least one week before the actual OSCE exam, conducted in-person. Thorough feedback was given by trainers following each mock exam.​The 30-day blended learning programme allowed newly arrived nurses to stay within the Trust’s setting, eliminating the necessity for them to participate in an external residential program. We facilitated the booking of OSCE exams on behalf of the Trust and organised transportation to the exam venue at Northumbria University NMC Test Centre. Courses were designed and tailored to meet the needs of candidates and provided all the theoretical and practical rehearsals in order to pass their OCSE exam within 12 weeks of being deployed into the UK.

​​If you would like to discuss how Nursingjobs UK can help with your workforce requirements please get in touch. Call a member of our recruitment team on  0203 405 7168.

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