Glossary of terms

Applicant

Applicant refers to a nurse or midwife who applies to NMBI to join the Register of Nurses and Midwives. All nurses and midwives must be on NMBI’s Register to work in Ireland.

Adaptation and assessment

A period of supervised practice placement which often includes further education and training. This period of supervised practice is assessed and is the responsibility of a registered nurse.

Assessment

A process to check the level of skill, knowledge, understanding or attitudes a person has to complete a specified goal. Assessment measures how a candidate nurse demonstrates achievement of competence to care for patients.

Candidate Nurse

An internationally educated nurse (IEN) whose name is on NMBI’s Candidate Register. Nurses are on this Register while they are completing their adaptation and assessment to have their qualification recognised by NMBI.

Competence

A nurse’s ability to understand and demonstrate knowledge, practice skills, and professional and ethical values. This is important for safe, accountable, compassionate and effective practice as a registered nurse or registered midwife.

Critical elements

A set of single, distinct and visible actions that show a nurse can perform to a required level of practice. They represent principles that are essential to show a nurse can practice competently. They allow a nurse to achieve the learning outcomes from a clinical perspective.

Domains of competence

A framework used to assess a candidate nurse’s clinical practice. Competencies are used to show that a nurse has the knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities to work in contemporary practice. All competencies are assessed on an ongoing basis during the period of adaptation.

Education assessment

A review of an applicant’s nursing credentials and qualifications such as transcripts, course content and other material that determines if their education programme is comparable to nursing education in Ireland. An education assessment includes nursing education, entry to practice and post qualification experience. As part of the assessment, NMBI ensures that unqualified people do not practice nursing.

Education assessor

A person who reviews and verifies if the nursing programmes of nurses who have qualified from outside of Ireland. They check that applicants meet NMBI’s academic and clinical standards and requirements. They also check that an applicant meets the EU Directive 36/2005/36 for General Nursing.

Induction

A formal introduction between a nurse and their employer. An employer will outline a nurse’s role and  responsibilities, and the mission and values of the wider organisation. An effective Induction process will ensure that the nurse is supported to achieve their expected performance levels.

IENs

Internationally educated nurses who come equipped with a wide range of educational programmes from around the world. They bring a variety of skills and abilities and a welcomed diverse culture to the Irish health care  service.

Learning log

The learning log is a diary or journal that shows what a candidate has learned. It outlines the specified domains of competence required by NMBI.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes set out the knowledge, understanding, ability and skills that a learner needs to achieve by the end of the programme.

Orientation (incorporating an adaptation and assessment programme)

A process used to provide initial training and information including assessment of competence relative to the responsibilities of their role, and the organisation’s mission and goals.

Post Qualification Experience (PQE)

A nurse’s practice experience after they have completed their professional qualification and have been admitted onto a nursing Register.

Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

The goal of a PIP is to improve the competence level of the nurse to deliver quality care to the service user. The plan should cover specific areas of performance deficiencies, to identify skills or training gaps and sets clear expectations for improvement.

Qualification recognition

A formal acknowledgement by a competent authority of the validity of a foreign qualification with a view to access to educational and/or employment activities.

Registration

This step follows qualification recognition and is the last process before the applicant’s name is added to the relevant division of the NMBI Register (from NMBI Applicant’s Guide).

Verifier

An independent person who ensures that the assessment process is conducted fairly. If difficulties arise during the period of adaptation, the verifier is responsible for verifying the assessment process. The verifier attends the intermediate and final meeting if requested to do so by the candidate nurse/preceptor.