Ulster University nurse testing centre officially opened by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt in Derry

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt launched the new facility in the former tax office building in Dunvale that was recently purchased by the university.

“The test centre here at UU has gained a reputation as the preferred choice for many candidates. This speaks volumes for the efforts made by UU, not only to support the development of the workforce to meet the healthcare needs of our population, but also their unwavering dedication to academic excellence and professional integrity,” he said.

The UU School of Nursing and Paramedic Science operates the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) Competence Test Centre (CTC) which has, over the years, expanded to meet growing demand.

UU says the development will enable over 8,000 internationally educated nursing and midwifery candidates per year from around the world, to take their NMC Test of Competence Part 2 Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) assessment.

Mr. Nesbitt said: “To the candidates embarking on this journey, I encourage you to view this Centre not simply as an examination stage but as a stepping stone towards a fulfilling career in healthcare.

"You are joining a community that values compassion, excellence, working together and openness and honesty.”

Shahneela Grygiel, Assistant Director of Registration and Revalidation at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, said: “We’re seeing more nursing and midwifery professionals on the NMC register than ever before – 826,418. The expansion at Ulster University will play a vital role in this continued growth, enabling internationally educated professionals and those returning to practice, to provide the high-quality care everyone across the UK has the right to receive.”

Since opening in 2017, over 32,000 nurses from countries including Canada, Japan, Philippines, India, Africa, and Barbados have undertaken the OSCE at the UU CTC.

Professor Carol Curran, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences at Ulster University commented: “This significant development signifies our continued commitment to the Derry~Londonderry campus and our ambitions for momentum in development here.

"This allows us to expand our campus footprint into a neighbouring site and importantly, benefits the local economy in the North West by boosting international travel to Derry~Londonderry with associated bed nights in local hotels.

"Additionally, some 90 staff – most of whom are local nurses - are employed in the CTC as assessors and patient role players so this CTC allows us to support the local economy though employment too. We have plans for further recruitment now that our CTC has expanded on the Foyle House site.”

Professor Neal Cook, Professor of Nursing and Head of School of Nursing and Paramedic Science said: “We are delighted to see our CTC provision expand from 12 to 20 testing bays at our new site, maximising the responsive provision to facilitating internationally educated nurses, midwives and nursing associates from all over the globe to enter the NMC live register.

"This enhanced provision will expand on our ability to support these nurses and their sponsors as well as provide our team with bespoke facilities to maximise the quality of our provision, complementing our continued commitment to a person-centred approach.”

13% of total enrolments at Magee College with nursing test contributing to spike