I am considering doing this. I have a small online business idea which I am getting off the ground already, but I have been thinking over the last couple of months about the long term situation in UK and seeing as OH being a nurse seems to be one of the right professions to avoid job issues, it might be a good idea to get qualified.
Of course this is not just a whim, I have thought about it on and off for years and OH has always said I would be very good at it.
( I can hear laughter at the back ) but truly, i'm really not like i am on here in the real world

My problem at the moment is that i will need to do an access to higher education course beforehand. I would prefer to do this as a distance learning course because it may be sometime before we settle permanently in one location, but I am worried that universities might not accept this for entry for nursing. I saw that the Open Univeristy does it but you have to already be employed by a healthcare provider to access this course. I have seen indepenadant companies who do it online, but OH said that they may or may not be acceptable
I couldnt find reference to it on the NMC website ( nursing medical council)

Has anyone got experience of this or knows anything about it?

I've been trying to navigate the NMC website and found it to be awful. Takes me in loops and then when I find what I want it says it's not available.
You may be better of just emailing them or calling them once you get to UK.
I can't find the course to convert from LVN to RN to save my life and I'm told thats what I'd need to do when I go back. Maybe if I get my US RN it would be quicker.
Good luck.
Don't forget you'd pay international fees too.

I did the Access to Health course about 18 months ago on a distance learning basis at my local college. It was a year long course and involved going into college about twice a month for approx 30 minutes during the evening. I found it boring but quite easy. I know most college's are looking at you having level 2 qualifications in place before accepting you on an Access course and even then, they want you to have recent study experience.

The colleges usually have direct links with university's and although you're not garanteed a place, you've probably got a better chance of being accepted with the college behind your application.

I was accepted by two universitys and turned them both down to emigrate to Austalia.............. Just before i came back to the UK i applied to UCAS directly and i've recently received interviews for both of the university's i put down on my application.

Whoops I've been here too long I meant convert my SEN to RN From reading on the NMC website I think I'm considered a Second level RN or something?? It a bit confusing. I'm hoping I don't need to do a full course as I have an active valid license here (US LVN as well as UK SEN). Surely it counts for something!

Can't you just go home, sign up and work as a nurse while you learn the theory at the same time? I thought this was how it worked in the UK although I have no personal experience but one of my friends did it this way as I remember.

I'm not a nurse, but I have two sisters (no pun intended!!) that are nurses in the UK. Both of them trained later in life.

It's all done as a degree course run by universities now - not too sure when that came in but I know my sister that trained most recently (within the last 10 years) had to do a similar thing - an access course to start (due to the time lag since she did her school qualifications) then did her nursing degree at the local university.

Hi, I did an access course in Swindon (full-time) and got accepted into Oxford Brookes midwifery degree in 2003. Fell pregnant at the same time (took 8 years) so newer started. I have not heard about any distance courses but they must be around. Do you know where you want to do nursing because then you can just call that uni and talk to them?

I was about to start the nursing degree in Denmark before coming here. Thought I would do it here and got accepted on the 2 year intensive in Rozelle but childcare just did not work out. Now I am going home and will do the degree in DK where childcare is no issue and the state gives every student £600 a month

Good luck flea

The Open University at Milton Keynes is a good place to start asking questions because many of their courses are distance learning.

Here's a link
http://www.open.ac.uk/hsc/research/r...ps/nursing.php

Have you seen this http://www.distancelearningcentre.com/

from the same website:

NATIONALLY ACCREDITED - Accredited Access Courses mean that students can apply to Universities, Teacher Training Colleges and Nurse Training Schools. They supply the required number of Credits normally demanded by Higher Education providers (60 Credits), although you can gain more or less if required.

The Distance Learning Centre is an approved Centre for delivery of OCN (Open College Network) qualifications. Click here to view the Certificate. The Course's Authorised Validating Agency (AVA) is the Open College Network North West Region (OCNNWR). This means that they are QAA approved (this also used to be known as Kitemarked). The Courses are accepted throughout the UK. When you apply for a course to move on into Higher Education we will also help you with your UCAS or NMAS Application.

This info has been really useful for me too, thanks!

I'm hoping to do a Social Work degree when I go back to England, and I'll need to do an Access course beforehand. I could do the course at my local college, but it would be easier to have the flexibility of distance learning.

I don't want to throw a spanner in the works but if you intend to go to a university when you move back you might want to read up about the 3 year residency rule. I think in order to obtain home fee tuition at a university a British Citizen returning from abroad has to have been resident in the UK or an EU country for three years prior to the start of their course.

Thanks, that's interesting. Would this apply to me then I wonder, as we only intended to live here for a short period (12 months), and we are still very much 'resident' in the UK on paper, if not in body. I didn't change any of my personal details, and still pay tax and NI contributions etc. Unless the university want to see my passport then it actually looks like I haven't left the country.

I'll look into it though.

Thanks Mary

Hi Millie

That happens to be the very college I was looking at! I was talking to my daughter last night as she wants to do it with me and assures me they are legitimate.