A British, fully-qualified, experienced, registered nurse is ready and willing to work for the NHS. She has no criminal record, received no complaints on the nursing register, and is able to work with no impediment. She is capable of carrying out her nursing duties in a professional manner and her clinical skills in the nursing field are competent. Her nursing colleagues deem her as a proficient and capable of the work and duties required as a registered nurse.

That nurse is me.

I am a 25-year old British nurse who is currently registered in the State of Florida, USA, and I received my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing in 2013. After receiving my nursing licence, I worked as an Orthopaedic/Neurological nurse on a surgical ward at West Florida Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, until my work visa expired in 2014. Wanting to return home and contribute to the NHS after gaining valuable nursing experience, I began my application for an NMC pin, which would allow me to practice nursing in the UK and work as a nurse in the NHS.

My application was denied.

The reason? I am considered unsafe to practice as I do not meet a 12-month post-registration experience requirement. Due to work visa restrictions, I was only able to gain 11 months experience after receiving my nursing licence.

But wait a second - how does that work? How can I be unsafe to practice one month, and then safe to practice the next? Does four weeks' worth of nursing practice seriously make a difference in my work performance and the mortality of the patients entrusted to my care? How does one gain experience, except to get experience?

I may be just one person, but how many other good, qualified nurses have been rejected to work within the NHS on such a petty formality?

To read the whole story, please visit my blog, Fight for a Nurse.

To whom it may concern

We address this petition to the healthcare leaders in our government bodies, as well as our Prime Minister. We understand that certain regulations must be in place to maintain safe practice of healthcare professionals within the NHS, but to prevent someone from working in their profession who is well-qualified because of a formality - does that not seem pedantic?

THE SOLUTION

We ask that you reopen my NMC application for becoming a nurse in the UK and grant me the opportunity to show my competence and ability to be a nurse by taking Part 1 test of competence (CBT) and Part 2 test of competence (OSCE), which is required for all foreign-trained nurses to take before they are granted registration onto the NMC nursing register. Let me prove that I am an asset to the NHS.

If you allow me to take the above tests, you are able to see for yourself whether I am truly competent as a nurse. And when I pass the above tests, you will have the benefit and addition of a fully-trained, experienced nurse within the NHS and one less nursing job placement to fill.

If you do not allow me to show my competency as a nurse, then you will have lost a fully-trained, experienced nurse and gained the disappointment of the many people who have supported me in this endeavour.

What does the NMC and the NHS have to lose?