Many nurses from India who sought work in Ireland are in crisis
Dublin: Many nurses who came from India are in crisis now that the Aptitude Test is back. They are suffering from a lack of work and income.
All of them are nurses recruited for work in HSE and private nursing homes in Ireland. Those who failed the aptitude test must retake it. It is estimated that more than 40 percent of people fail the aptitude test. The aptitude test costs 2800 euros.
The issue is that this is a costly test. This amount is more than many people can afford. They are concerned that if they write the test without first receiving training, they will fail.
The nurses came here after receiving job offers and contracts from health providers in Ireland. After coming here, the condition is to pass the aptitude test. The test will cost 2,800 euros. In the event of failure, this amount will not be refunded, and the job offers will be cancelled as well. All the nurses have obtained English language qualifications, including OET.
Many who fail the exam are in debt. They are in a state where they are unsure of what to do. Many of them left their existing jobs and came to Ireland. They spent a lot of money to work here. Many of them had spent thousands of euros to come here.
There are Indian nurses who came here after leaving good jobs in New Delhi and Kerala. There are also nurses who came here after leaving their jobs in countries including Saudi.
They were brought to Ireland for a large fee by Indian agents. Some Irish government-approved recruitment agencies were also involved. After receiving the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland’s decision letter, many people borrowed money from friends and sold jewellery to pass the RCSI exam and come to Ireland after being hired.
Some visitors to Ireland are given free accommodation, but if they fail the RCSI exam, there is no one to help them.
Candidates say the problem is a lack of knowledge about the Irish exam system. The only place to get information about the exam is online. Most people have no idea what the test is or how it works. Various tasks have to be completed in 10 minutes each at 14 different stations.
Some examinees revealed to ‘Irish Malayali’ (part of Irish Samachar) that the chief in charge of RCSI and the exam coordinators were intimidating and threatening the examinees.
It is also said that some exam coordinators act as backers for recruitment agents. The examiners are becoming instruments of infighting among the recruitment agents. Some of them even go to India as guests of certain recruitment agents and conduct seminars on RCSI tests.
Many of those who are given temporary appointments in hospitals have received notices that they cannot continue their registration with NMBI, cannot continue working in the hospital, and must look for another job after failing the exam.
Many of them do not even have enough money to return. A lot of people are trying to work as health care assistants in nursing homes.
There are more than 12,000 Indian nurses in Ireland. The largest number of foreign nurses are Indian nurses.
HSE claims…
According to an HSE spokesperson, nurses practising in Ireland must be registered with the NMBI. Aptitude tests are administered by the Royal College of Surgeons. The spokesperson said that the website provides all the information needed to help the candidates.
More adaptation centres.
NMBI sources claim that more efforts are being made to make the aptitude test conducted by RCIC flawless. There is now a system in place for administering tests at examination centres.
Although plans were made to organise the test at more centres, only RCSI came forward willingly. As a result of this, more adaptation centres have now been started.
Even though the country requires more nurses, such recruitment issues will undoubtedly impede the health sector. Those who applied for attachment work permits are still in a precarious situation. Permit distribution resumed in the first week of June, but still a very low number of applicants were admitted.
At the same time, those who obtain a work permit must wait a long time for the RCSI test. Those working in the recruitment sector and the candidates allege that the reason for this is the mismanagement of the RCSI in the conduct of the examination.
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