Date of release: Wednesday 30th December, 2015
A total of 19 new recruits from the Mediterranean countries will work in a variety of settings - arriving at almost the same time as 29 newly- registered British graduate nurses who are also beginning their careers at the Trust at the start of the year.
The new contingent represents the fifth group of European Union nurses to be employed by RWT over the last 14 months.
Beginning on January 11, the recruits from the Continent will attend a six-week induction and orientation programme while awaiting confirmation of their Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration.
The induction covers NHS protocols, systems and clinical governance as well as fire training, manual handling and care plans.
The nurses will also undergo an assessment of clinical competence both within the Nurse Education Department and in the clinical settings where they are placed.
A national shortage of nurses graduating from training and education in the UK saw RWT look abroad and the employment of the Italian and Spanish nurses is the latest success story in this wide-reaching recruitment drive.
A six-strong team from the Trust only recently went out to the Philippines to recruit 222 qualified nurses.
In the case of the Italian and Spanish recruits, a team from the Trust comprising senior nurses, Matron and Human Resources staff travelled to the continent to conduct interviews arranged by a recruitment agency which carried out pre-qualification checks.
Lynne Fieldhouse, Head of Nursing Education at the Trust, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming our new colleagues from the European Union.
“The NMC recognises their European qualifications but we also ensure they receive a Universal induction together with a clinical competence assessment.”
