The Nursing Midwifery Board of Ireland and Migrant Nurses Ireland Union gathered again to confer about the challenges faced by the migrant nurses attending adaptation and aptitude test programmes in Ireland.

The Nursing Midwifery Board of Ireland and Migrant Nurses Ireland Union gathered again to confer about the challenges faced by the migrant nurses attending adaptation and aptitude test programmes in Ireland. MNI addressed the migrant perspective representing the voices of the candidates who attended these programmes recently in Ireland who felt it was unfair and discriminatory at certain stages. MNI addressed to NMBI that most of the stress the candidate undergo during adaptation and aptitude test are induced and could be avoided if a migrant friendly approach is attained by the supervisors and managers organising and conducting these programmes.

MNI has received lately numerous complaints and concerns regarding the same. MNI requested NMBI for periodic auditing and feedback reviews from the candidates who attended adaptation and aptitude test to pin down the gaps and called out for the need of training among the organizing staff and managers to tackle the behaviours which are quite intimidating for a new candidate coming from a foreign country with different culture and background. Candidates expressed to MNI that such attitude and behaviour adds on to their natural stress and affects the performance level during the test. NMBI promised to take the issues addressed reasonably and steps will be taken to tackle any such behaviours misusing cultural disadvantages of the candidates.

The board also addressed MNI to encourage the candidates to approach the programme coordinators of the adaptation program without fearing any bias in their evaluation process. The discussion also highlighted the issues pertaining to the appealing process for adaptation in relation to the delay in submission of competency assessment documents by the hospital to NMBI. MNI also proposed a suggestion to reinstate the short-term exam visa which will give opportunities for candidates working outside Ireland to appear for aptitude exams in Ireland without resigning from their current job.

MNI thanked NMBI board at the end for being approachable and interested in the upbringing of the working standards of migrant nurses.
CEO, Sheila McClelland, Director of Registration, Ray Healy and Director of Education, Carolyn Donohoe from NMBI attended the meeting and Varghese Joy, Vinu Kaipilli, Somy Thomas and Agnes Febina represented MNI.