Gieselle Pascual, a UK-Registered General Nurse (RGN) originally from the Philippines, found out about IANS when researching options for people who had failed the Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) twice. These exams assess the overseas nurse’s ability to adapt past professional experience into UK-specific practice, demonstrably doing a patient’s admission assessment or administering a patient’s insulin injection, for example. It is a nerve-wracking and a structurally confusing test for many: Gieselle knew two colleagues who had failed their OSCE twice, and this story was all but uncommon. In the January to March 2018 quarter, 920 people took the exam for the first time. Less than half passed.
The same was true for Clarito Loga who came from the Philippines to train to be an RGN. After failing his OSCEs, Clarito’s previous employers terminated his sponsorship, and he faced a six-month cooling-off period before he could take his exam again. Disappointment could have been a catalyst for relinquishing hope for both these people - especially considering the consequences of failure. After a second or third attempt at the OSCEs, many overseas candidates face the risk of deportation. What’s more, their sponsors, commonly the NHS, lose the time and investment they’d put into bringing the nurse into the UK and training them up.
But instead of losing heart, Clarito and Gieselle chose to stay determined.
With IANS’ training, guidance and emotional support, the two nurses slowly began to rebuild their confidence. “I had already given up on myself,” Gieselle admits. “I was very happy to have found IANS because even if you tell them your circumstances, they won't give up on you.” IANS’ process of building the self-belief of their candidates was a result of standardising their training. By adding clarity to a convoluted process, the service has achieved a 100% pass rate with 34 consecutive passes to date.
“I got my result,” Clarito comments. “And it was a pass; I really can’t explain the feeling. It was like a year full of stress… a year full of problems. But when you see the result, that you’ve passed, it’s like a heavy burden lifted from you.” Gisele has been a registered nurse in the Philippines and the US, and now also in the UK following her pass result in the OSCE. Determination through despair is one of the most significant obstacles a person can face. But, seeking out help, where help is available, is the first step to overcoming any hurdle. In the case of both these nurses, IANS provided a solid foundation of training and emotional support that paved the way for their success.
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