June 01, 2022
Nurses and midwives from outside Ireland who wish to practise on a temporary basis in Ireland will be able to apply for a permit to do so from today (1 June 2022), the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) has announced.
Nurses and midwives from outside Ireland who wish to practise on a temporary basis in Ireland will be able to apply for a permit to do so from 1 June 2022, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) has announced.
The move follows the signing of a commencement order by Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, which brings into operation Sections 39 and 41 of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011.
The legal change will allow practising nurses and midwives visiting Ireland for work purposes to apply for a Humanitarian Practice Permit in the following circumstances:
a. Patient transfer (emergency and acute clinical care)
b. Training that requires the nurse/midwife to be in a clinical area
c. Accompanying a client/person for a sporting event
d. Patient support for short term respite care.
A person qualified to practise in a place outside the State and in the State for a humanitarian purpose may be issued with a permit by the NMBI allowing them to practice for a period not longer than 30 days.
This permit provision does not apply to nurses and midwives who are eligible to have their qualifications recognised under the European Union (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 8 of 2017) and who, accordingly, are eligible to apply to provide services on a temporary and occasional basis.
CEO of NMBI, Sheila McClelland, said: “We are pleased to announce that nurses and midwives who are registered within their home state may apply for a Humanitarian Practice Permit which is now available on the NMBI website.
“This permit is meant for nurses and midwives involved in care provision for an isolated practice episode. Should a nurse or midwife wish to practice on a regular basis they will need to apply to NMBI to join the Irish register.”